Hidden in the Shadows
by Fluffy Bunnies Are So Cute
Summary: Annabeth Chase is a no one, spending her time studying, hiding from others, and burying herself deep into her past. To top it all off, this anti-social loner has the biggest crush on Percy Jackson—the most popular guy in school. Travel through the pain of high school with Annabeth as she watches her beloved one, hidden in the shadows. Percabeth ;)
1. The Irony of the Social Spectrum

**Summary: **Annabeth Chase is a no one, spending her time studying, hiding from others, and burying herself deep into her past. To top it all off, this anti-social loner has the biggest crush on Percy Jackson—the most popular guy in school. Travel through the pain of high school with Annabeth as she watches her beloved one, hidden in the shadows.

**Author's Note: **Hello! Thank you to everyone who is reading this, especially those who have followed my other stories and came across this :) Fair warning, Annabeth (and Percy?) may be a bit out of character, but it is simply to fit the plot of the story. Nonetheless, I hope you enjoy!

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Percy Jackson and the Olympians—it belongs to solely Rick Riordan.

~oOo~

**HIDDEN IN THE SHADOWS**

Prologue/Fake-Chapter One

_The Irony of the Social Spectrum_

~oOo~

The irony of this world I've come to live in never ceases to amaze me.

You see, Goode High School has a figurative scale of, let's say, _people_, ranging from unpopular at one end and popular at the other. If you looked far down enough at the end of the spectrum, you'd see the little red blip, marking the point where I, Annabeth Chase, an ordinary student at Goode High, stand.

At the other end of this hierarchy, however, stands Perseus "Percy" Jackson, undoubtedly the most popular guy in Goode.

So, what's so ironic? you may ask.

Despite my position in this social scale, I have somehow managed to fall for the untouchable, Percy Jackson.

But in all honesty, what girl hasn't?

With his lean, swimmer's body, deep, sea green eyes, and black hair that falls in front of his orbs, he most definitely was the best looking guy at Goode, and also the most popular, not only the amongst girls, but the throughout entire student body. That, right there, is a feat.

Me on the other hand? Curly blonde hair, plain gray eyes, tan skin. Not to be narcissistic, but I'm not necessarily _fugly_ (as some people call others), but I'm not _pretty _either. I believe myself to be just _okay_ to look at. A plain, but okay nerd.

At Goode, that's all that matters: looks. It's like: "Screw the personality! Screw the brains!" as if no one _cares_ about it anymore. I seriously doubt that anyone does.

But maybe… maybe if they all looked past their own vain reflections in the mirror… they'd see me, hidden in the shadows.

And then maybe I would have a friend that actually cares about me, for who I _am_, not what I look like.

Maybe he would notice me for the first time.

Someday, maybe, but not in the near future.

After all, I am invisible to everyone.

* * *

**End Notes:**

Is it okay so far? Just a short little thing to get you introduced!

I want to thank all of you for reading this, as well as for reading YouTube, MeTube, and PercyTube, if you followed me from there to this story!

I'm not sure if I'm going to continue this, but I have a few ideas, so tell me if you enjoyed it, and if I should continue it!

I also put the prologue to Identities out, so whichever one gets the most reviews is going to be the one I'm going to continue with, okay?

Thanks to all :)

_Fluffy xoxo_


	2. The Jackson Effect

**Summary: **Annabeth Chase is a no one, spending her time studying, hiding from others, and burying herself deep into her past. To top it all off, this anti-social loner has the biggest crush on Percy Jackson—the most popular guy in school. Travel through the pain of high school with Annabeth as she watches her beloved one, hidden in the shadows.

**Author's Note: **After a short little prologue… is the second chapter!

~oOo~

**HIDDEN IN THE SHADOWS**

Chapter Two

_The Jackson Effect_

~oOo~

"_Lol_, like, yeah, you're _definitely_ going to be swim captain this year," a girl giggles, her voice all sugary. Her back is to me, as I rummage through my locker, and I can hear her failed attempts at flirting with Percy—my locker neighbor.

With a glance at her in the corner of my eye, I see the familiar black hair with purple tints at the ends, meaning only one person: Drew. She curls her hair so it rests on one shoulder, and leans her side up against the row of lockers, crossing her arms so it makes her chest more apparent.

I can't help but roll my eyes at her absurdity. Despite Drew's ridiculousness, she seems to be a decent person under her popular-façade.

"Well, we can't determine it yet, but thanks," Percy replies. I turn my head towards them for a moment, catching him smile warmly at her, before closing his locker. "I have to go now, Drew, but I'll talk to you sometime, okay?" he says, dismissing her kindly.

He leaves his locker, and I turn back to my own, rushing a bit so I wouldn't be late for next period. Drew continues to stand by his locker, her back flush against it, smiling as if she's in a daze—something I've begun to call the "Jackson Effect".

I shut my own locker door closed, causing Drew to snap out of her daze and look at me.

Her face brightens and she breaks out in a grin. "Oh my God, you're back! Hi!" _I'm back? What? Where did I go? _I think mutely, looking at Drew with a curious gaze.

"DREW!" a voice from behind me squeals with delight, causing me to sigh wearily. _Oh. That's why_. I rifle through my bag, making sure I have everything, and see a red-headed girl—Rachel Elizabeth Dare—fling herself at Drew. "I missed you so much, Drew!"

"I know! How was Connecticut?"

Rachel leans against the locker beside Drew and she clutches her books to her chest, her ginger eyebrows furrowed, a small pout on her face. "Boring. Daddy made me attend a summer finishing school there… Clarions, or something, I don't even want to remember it."

Drew sighs sympathetically. "It couldn't of been that bad, Rach."

She shakes her head, her untamed red curls flying. "It itself wasn't—Clarions is such a gorgeous place—but they _completely_ restricted me of my art! I couldn't do _anything_ for two months!"

"Aw. Well, I bet seeing a certain someone would cheer you up out of your Clarion-Academy blues," Drew smiles, the Jackson Effect taking over once again, spreading to Rachel this time.

Rachel grins, her teeth a brilliant white. "I know! I saw him in the hallway earlier and I couldn't stop swooning when he winked at me! Do you think he worked out over the summer?" she giggles.

Drew rolls her eyes teasingly. "He doesn't need to… not that I mind that he does or anything. I love me some abs," she drawls, licking her lips to complete the act. She laughs, along with Rachel, and they head to their next class together, catching up from the summer absence.

I look up from my stare at my shoes and walk down the near empty halls, alone.

_What would it be like to have he wink—no, _look—_at me, just once?_

~oOo~

I arrive to class on time and take my seat up in the front, where no one sits. I've always wondered why people always think that those who sit in the front of the class are nerds or something. It's not always true. Smart people enjoy sitting in the back, as well.

Personally, I sit in the front because, well, there's nowhere else _for_ me to sit. It's not like anyone saves a seat for me, anyways. But sitting in the front means everyone would see you from the back, and you'd be the first to leave the class.

Wherever you sit doesn't necessarily matter at all to me. If I were to have been seen, or saved a spot—that would be the day. One big, huge, and utterly messed up day.

I honestly don't mind being alone all the time, really. It gives you a moment to reflect or simply just think. As Whitney Houston would say, "It isn't a crime not having friends. Being alone means you have fewer problems." You don't have to worry about telling someone something on accident, or hating anyone, or even sharing anything. It can be lonely at points, but you soon become accustomed to it, to the point where you would prefer being alone rather in big groups.

On occasions, that is. Despite what anyone says about how they enjoy being in solitude, it can undoubtedly get lonesome over a period of time.

"Miss Chase? Annabeth Chase?" the teacher calls over the chatter of the class, looking down at her class roster, a scowl on her narrow face. "Absent… on the first day of school… Hmph." I hear her mutter to herself, and my hand shoots up.

"Here," I say meekly, my eyes downcast, not because I was intimidated by her glare, rather, not wanting my grade to be at risk. The teacher shakes her head at me, clearly showing her distaste.

_On the teacher's bad side already, _I grumble to myself inwardly. _This is just great._

"Katie Gardner?" the teacher continues to drone.

I lean my head on the palm of my hand, waiting for class to actually begin.

"Miss Gardner? Is she here?" the teacher repeats.

From the back, there's a loud voice that can be overheard by the crowd. "She's here!" whoever it is cries.

Their remark is shortly followed by a more feminine voice, who says, "Here!" before yelling at the other, "Geez, Travis, I can speak for myself!"

The teacher—Ms. Kimble, according to the plaque on her desk—clears her throat. "That's enough, Miss Gardner, Mr. Stoll," she says, before continuing with the roll.

At least Katie wasn't almost marked absent.

~oOo~

I eat lunch in silence and as usual, alone. It didn't matter much anymore, though, and I got to catch up on reading, or homework-ing, or something else productive.

And, to be honest, it was perfect for catching up on the gossip roaming around the school.

"_Yup! This summer was _amazing_! I spent pretty much the entire time on the beach tanning and flirting with cute guys!"_

"_Bro, did you hear? Malcolm's been working out… did you see his muscles? Lil' ole nerd's moving up!"_

"_I went to Europe with my family and it was _absolutely spectacular_!"_

"_Hey! Piper and Jason got together over the summer! They're so cute together!"_

I finish eating my sandwich and stand up to go throw away my trash in the large garbage cans un-strategically placed around the cafeteria. I wipe my hands down and return to my seat, prepared to spend the next five minutes of lunch in complete silence.

My gaze drifts over to the table where Percy is sitting, and I can't help but stare at him. _Rachel or Drew or whoever was right… He has been working out. _His biceps are more prominent than the year before, and his skin is more tan, more toned.

Suddenly, his attention turns toward my general vicinity, and he flashes a breathtaking grin. It's almost as if he's staring directly at me, directly through me, and I look down.

When I look back up, he's turned away, talking to another friend. There's a horde of giggles from behind me and I sigh to myself.

Seems like the Jackson Effect's struck again.

* * *

**End Notes:**

HOWDY :3

How is everyone? Well, I'm super psyched for this story :) Also, for another MR story that I want to post, like now, but not going toooo :)

Anyways, hope you enjoyed chapter 2 of _Hidden in the Shadows: The Jackson Effect_!

I liked it. Not sure how the clarity was, but I hope you all understood the gist of the chapter!

**R&R **please! And thank you for all the other reviews :)

Fluffy


	3. Empty Nothing

**Summary: **Annabeth Chase is a no one, spending her time studying, hiding from others, and burying herself deep into her past. To top it all off, this anti-social loner has the biggest crush on Percy Jackson—the most popular guy in school. Travel through the pain of high school with Annabeth as she watches her beloved one, hidden in the shadows.

**Author's Note: **Thank you for all the reviews, my lovelies :)

~oOo~

**HIDDEN IN THE SHADOWS**

Chapter Three

_Empty Nothing_

~oOo~

During gym, I walk around the track. Around and around and around the dull, texturized, gray concrete, in complete and utter silence. At least for me.

Looking around, I can see small groups already in formation; students hanging around together and separating themselves into their little cohorts of friends, excluding all others from joining. A group of five here, a group of two there—almost everyone fits in somewhere.

_Almost._

The thing is, I don't hate being a loner.

I just can't help but absolutely _hate_ how my brain can filter through the entirety of the situation and come up with one basic statement—every single time—out of _all _the other things it could have picked up. _You're alone. You're the only one alone. You're nothing._

Out of the beautiful weather, the fresh air, the new shoes on my feet, my stellar grades, that's all I can think about: _I'm alone. I'm the only one alone. I'm… _nothing_. _It really does much to one's ego when your own brain puts yourself down and calls you nothing.

There's just so much emptiness, so much reclusiveness, and I _don't know_ how to not notice it. It never stops and some days, I wonder when I'll break.

A soccer ball flies past me, nearly pummeling into my stomach, and I break out of my increasingly depressing reverie. For a moment, I stop walking to simply stare at the soccer ball. Hexagons and pentagons. White and black.

_And I was in the darkness. So darkness I became._

"Hey gray-eyes!" a voice shouts. I look up from the ball to a guy running in my direction. _Gray-eyes… that must mean me? _I think vacantly, eyebrows furrowing, body positioning into a defensive stance.

I must be staring at him with a blank expression, because he clarifies his original declaration. "Yes, uh, you…" _Me? _"Sorry 'bout that… mind passing me the ball though?" _Oh._

"Sure." I pass the ball back to him, which he easily stops and controls with his lithe feet. Then, I turn and resume my strolling, but his low voice stops me, compelling me to turn back around.

"Thanks. Oh, and by the way, I'm Luke." He gives me a fleeting grin, his blue eyes shining under the sun, before he jogs back towards his friends.

To say our interaction startled me was a complete understatement. It was sudden and out of the blue and it left a slight smile on my face, but above all, it was dreadfully confusing.

It was the first time this year that another student had actually made an effort to speak to me.

~oOo~

He sat in the classroom, his mind wandering and unable to focus on the current topic of discussion. All his thoughts continued to drift back to that one subject that seemed to wipe out the little attention he might have held for any other.

_Her_.

The first time he had seen her, his gaze had floated from corner to corner of the cafeteria, a grin on his face, and he had just sat contently at his lunch table. But then, he had laid eyes on her—he didn't know her name—but _her_ nonetheless.

She looked as if she was staring at him, and he waved that off since honestly, he attracted the attention of many girls. No, that wasn't what had caused his mind to close down all the other thought-tracks… No, it was her _eyes_.

They were a startling gray—in contrast to her blonde curls—but they seemed…_hollow_. It wasn't a superficial shallowness he had identified in the eyes of other girls he knew… It wasn't shallow at all. It was _empty_.

Even so, he smiled at her, causing her to look down and blood to rush to her tan cheeks. He had chuckled lightly and turned back to his friends, who had then immediately engaged him into a conversation.

And so now, he couldn't get her out of his mind. He didn't know her name, any of her classes, how long she's been at the school…and a wave of guilt crashed down on him like the rushing waves at the beach.

_The beach._

He couldn't wait to get back there on the weekend—the one place where he could be free, take his mind off things, and simply _be_. It was like his second home. After all, he had spent most of the summer with the warm sand between his toes and sun shining down on his back.

And as he daydreamed about swimming in the ocean, all thoughts of the gray-eyed girl immediately vanished.

~oOo~

"Now, to all you male students, Home Ec may seem like an extremely feminine class, but I assure you, by the end of the year it'll become one of your favorites," Mr. Farzae, the home ec teacher, says as he paces the length of the classroom.

I fiddle with the pencil in my hands, somewhat regretting my decision to enroll in Home Ec. _I could be doing something much more productive at the moment…_

So here I am, sitting in the front row of the classroom, and undeniably bored out of my mind. I can't focus on anything—anything, that is, but Luke.

To be blunt: it's weird.

I had spent so long thinking about one guy, and only one guy—Percy—but now Luke and his blue eyes come barging into my thoughts. No, not in a romantic way, but more… _intriguing_. Our earlier interaction had left me not knowing what to think and also trying to analyze _everything_.

Why had he told me his name?

Why hadn't he just asked me for the ball and left?

Why had he smiled at me?

Mr. Farzae's voice barely interrupts my internal ranting, but I can hear him all the same. _"So the first unit we're going to start off with is baking. Every week or so, you will be required to bake something and whatever you have baked is what you will be evaluated by. If you look around the classroom, we have nearly twice the amount of students as we do ovens, so you will be in pairs—that I have picked_._" _

That statement is quickly followed by a chorus of grumbles and groans, but they're soon silenced by Mr. Farzae's stare.

Whatever I had been thinking earlier flees my mind as I process what he had just said. _Partners? I _have _to have a partner?_ I sneak a short glance around the classroom, not seeing any faces that might make a decent partner—and not seeing Percy.

He pulls out a blank sheet of paper and a sharpened Ticonderoga pencil, before clearing his throat. He places both hands on his desk and gazes out around the classroom.

"First partners: Mr. Fletcher and Ms. Beauregard," Mr. Farzae finally says, writing down their names on the paper in front of him.

"Mr. Grace and Ms. Di Angelo.

"Mr. Stoll and Ms. La Rue."

Mr. Farzae resumes calling out names, doing his best to make it a coed pair. By the time he's about done, my name still hasn't been assigned.

"Ms. Chase," Mr. Farzae says, reading through his list and looking about the room of students. "Ms. Chase…" he repeats. He looks up at me, his eyes sympathetic. "I'm afraid there's no one else without a partner… do you mind working alone?"

I shake my head. Although I hadn't wanted a partner, I can't control the rush of blood to my face, and I look down.

"Okay. Then it is just Ms. Ch—"

The door to the classroom flies open, footsteps rushing in. "I'm so sorry sir for being late, but Mrs. Roberts had held me back for a moment," they say.

Mr. Farzae seems to wave it off, seeing he makes no comment. I glance up slightly at him as he adjusts his list on his desk. "Well then it seems you have a partner after all, Ms. Chase!"

My gaze shifts to the student standing beside him, and my eyes are met with dark sea-green ones.

"Ms. Chase and Mr. Jackson."

_Percy Jackson._

* * *

**End Notes:**

Well. Cliché? Yes.

Do I care? No.

Do _you_ care? Hopefully not xD

I couldn't resist. But don't worry! I'll try to add some stuff… and stuff…

BUT OMG LUKE'S IN THE PICTURE NOW.

Let's review about this, okay? Okay!

Hehe. I'm just a _tiny_ bit hyper.

But but but uh review! And it's my sister's birthday 3:

Andddd… I'm bored :P

But review :D

Bai baiii~

_Fluffy_


	4. Friendly

**Summary: **Annabeth Chase is a no one, spending her time studying, hiding from others, and burying herself deep into her past. To top it all off, this anti-social loner has the biggest crush on Percy Jackson—the most popular guy in school. Travel through the pain of high school with Annabeth as she watches her beloved one, hidden in the shadows.

**Author's Note: **Hadn't realized the wait was so long ): But guess whaaat? I read THE FAULT IN OUR STARS, and I absolutely _cherish _it now! New favorite book (: **(6/16: WOW THAT WAS LIKE, A MONTH AGO .-.) **PS, happy late birthday to me

~oOo~

**HIDDEN IN THE SHADOWS**

Chapter Four

_Friendly_

~oOo~

It takes me a moment to process the entirety of the situation.

"Mr. Farzae!" The words come tumbling out of my mouth before I can comprehend the exact statement that had just been blurted from my lips. I feel heat rising from my chest to my cheeks, and I look down, embarrassed.

"Is that a problem, Ms. Chase?" Mr. Farzae questions. I struggle to lift my gaze to look at him, but my eyes stop on Percy, who stares at me intently, his deep sea-green eyes nearly nerve-wracking.

I break my gaze away from Percy and settle it on Mr. Farzae. "No, sir," I say after a moment. "It's just that… you didn't ask Percy if he was okay with being my partner."

My eyes flicker to Percy, and his mouth opens to say something, but the teacher cuts him off. "Ms. Chase, these are assigned partners, chosen by me. I'm afraid Percy would have to be your partner whether he liked it or not, and I most certainly hope he doesn't mind. Do you, Mr. Jackson?"

Our eyes are locked, and Percy's response to the teacher is delayed. With a small, awkward cough, he replies, "Uh, no, sir, I don't mind."

"Well then this matter is settled; Mr. Jackson, please take a seat beside Ms. Chase. As for everyone else, please relocate yourselves so you are seated next to your partner. These are to be your seats for the rest of the year. After you're settled, read over the course curriculum until the end of the period."

I close my eyes, leaning my head on my hand, and listen to the scuffing of desks against the tiles, the groans of unhappy students, and try not to blush as I realize how long I had been staring at Percy and how long he reciprocated.

A pencil taps against the desk top adjacent to me; its clicks a loud, sharp, and consistent noise.

_Click. Click. Click. Click._

The noise of feet hitting the ground soon joins in, and it matches the tempo of the pencil-tapper.

_Tap. Click. Tap. Click. Tap._

Sixty seconds pass in my head, but the tapping doesn't stop.

Another sixty seconds, and the pencil raps three quick times on my desk.

"Could you _stop_ doing that?" I mutter quietly, my annoyance blatantly obvious.

All excess noise immediately stops, a low, husky voice taking its place. "Oh. Sorry about that… I'm just a little bit ADHD. But shouldn't we read over the curriculum?" the voice says. The very same voice belonging to Percy Jackson.

My eyes fly open, and finally, my body decides to listen to my mind so my face is stolid and not flushing.

"I'm sorry that you have to sit up in the front with me than with your friends," I blurt out, instantly cringing as I hear my uncooperative mouth say those words. I surreptitiously sneak a peek at Percy only to immediately look away.

He's frowning slightly, a small crease between his furrowed eyebrows. "Why would you apologize about me sitting with you? Maybe I would rather sit with you in the front than with my friends in the back."

_Keep calm, Annabeth, and don't over-analyze his words. They're just friendly._

"We should read the curriculum, shouldn't we?" I say, effectively changing the subject. And before he can say anything else, I subtly hide my face from him by my bangs, and feign great interest in the course outline.

_Ah, I thought you were supposed to be smart! The guy you have a huge crush on is finally talking to you, and you're blowing him off!_

_ He's only talking to me because it's required. Our grades are at stake here!_

_ Mr. Farzae only said that you were required to share stations while baking since there aren't enough kitchen appliances; he never said anything about having to interact with each other!_

_ You're bound to interact if you're sharing a station._

_ Well what about this? He asked if "we" should read over the curriculum! He could have just read it by himself! He _offered _to read it… together!_

_Oh would you shut up? He's the second person to have talked to me this school year, and he's never going to think of me like that when he has his Drew's and Rachel's, so really, it would all be a complete bust; a waste of time and energy._

As I mentally joust with myself, I become unaware of the time, so when the bell rings, the loud shrilling noise startles me out of my thoughts. By the time I've packed up all my belongings, the classroom has emptied out, with the exception of Mr. Farzae.

Bag slung over my shoulder, I'm about to walk out through the door, when Mr. Farzae's deep voice stops me. "Ms. Chase…"

I turn around. "Yes?"

"Are you okay being partners with Mr. Jackson? Something seemed… _wrong_ during class, so I'm sure I could make a few small adjustments if necessary." His voice is worried, yet warm—the sound of a genuinely concerned teacher.

_ This is it! Now is the time to relieve yourself of awkward Home Ec classes every day!_

"It's no big—it's not necessary," I tell him, giving him a small smile. "Thank you though; I really appreciate your offer."

He nods, rubbing his forehead in a tired manner. "Here, at least let me write you a pass for next period."

I parrot his nod and he gets up to hand me a small slip of paper. "Thanks."

~oOo~

After Home Ec is math, and after math is history.

I'm one of the first people to arrive in the history classroom, not needing to socialize with anyone in the hallways. The teacher, Ms. Looper, is absent from the room for the time being, and so the room is in silent mode.

I settle down in one of the front row seats, as usual, and fiddle with a pencil between my fingers.

The door opens, and Rachel, shortly followed by Drew, walk in. The room instantaneously loudens, and before you know it, the classroom is mostly full.

"You will _not_ believe my luck today!" Rachel squeals. Both she and Drew sit relatively close to the front, just one or two seats behind me.

Drew sounds uninterested—probably because Rachel is always an extremely lucky girl—when she replies, "Hmm? What is it now?"

"So I had science with Miss Robyn last period, right?" She continues without waiting for Drew's commendation. "And guess who's in my class? Percy Jackson!"

"Really?" I can tell how Drew's tone immediately brightens, even though it's one little word.

Rachel doesn't reply, so I assume she's nodding her head eagerly. "And then, as if my day couldn't get any better, Miss Robyn assigns us lab partners for the quarter, and do you know who she assigned as my partner?"

Although it's a rhetorical question, Drew blurts out, "Who?"

A hand slaps the desk (most likely Rachel's), shortly followed by a small, dreamy sigh. "_Perseus Jackson._"

Both the girls start squealing at this point, the ringing bell barely able to cover their screams of delight.

Finally, when their excitement subsides, Drew questions, "Okay, so did you have to sit by him for the rest of the period?"

Her question is met with a silence, again, probably a nod from Rachel.

Drew sighs. "Rachel, you are one lucky bit—" She's cut off by a new voice joining in on the conversation.

"So I heard you girls squealing, and so now I'm curious as to what aspect of me you were fangirling about. Was it my devilishly handsome good looks? Or my voice? Hmm, you tell me, cutie." _I know that voice…_

Rachel laughs. "Oh, shove off, Luke," —_Luke's in this class?_— "you can get plenty of girls without being so full of yourself."

I turn my head slightly so Rachel hugging Luke comes into view. _Yup, same gym-Luke, _I sigh to myself.

"Not you, madam," is Luke's reply.

She laughs again, the sound bright and melodic. "Oh please, Luke, my heart belongs to Percy Jackson, and _only_ Percy. Anyways, Drew, I got to sit next to him and he's _sooo_ swee—"

"Wait, you were talking about Percy? Perseus Jackson?" Luke interrupts in disbelief. "Oh come _on_, Rach, you can do better than that!"

Drew sighs dreamily. "He's got such a hot name."

"So? Luke Castellan is _pretty_ sexy too, if I may say so myself."

Rachel huffs, annoyed. "I don't get why you've got such a grudge against him, just because he beat you in soccer! He's not a bad guy, and really, he's extremely sweet, and you can't argue against its veracity!"

_ Three point vocabulary word, _I think, smiling a bit to myself.

"I just… I just don't like him, okay?" Luke mutters.

"What did he ever do to you?" Rachel counters, her tone cold and guarded.

Luke hesitates for a moment before responding. "Forget I ever brought it up, will you?" The sound of his shoes hitting the ground signals him walking away, and I can hear Rachel audibly sigh in relief.

"Back to my story," Rachel says, her once cold tone, bright and light now. "We had to go over the science curriculum, right? Well, he asked me if _we_ should start reading it! We, as in _together_!"

Percy's actions with Rachel are the same as with me, and the small glimmer of hope I had falls. _It was only friendly._

"No way!"

"Yes! I know! And while we were reviewing it, he kept it slow and he was really patient and sweet with me and everything. I think he even noticed me staring at him, once or twice, but he didn't even call me out on it!"

Drew snickers, her voice unbelieving. "_Once or twice_?"

"Okay, okay, maybe more!" Rachel giggles.

"Is that it?" Drew questions, eager for Rachel to finish her story. And to be honest, I myself want to hear this story to its completion.

"Oh no, there's more!" Rachel grins. "And then after that, he—"

"I'm so sorry for being late today," a female voice says, "but I'm Ms. Looper, your APUSH teacher this year."

The class quickly silences, Rachel and Drew included, and I sigh with disappointment and curiosity. _Now I'll never know the rest of the story._

"I know the majority of you have absolutely zero interest in US History, but after this year, I hope that you have developed an understanding on why it's so important for us to learn it," the teacher says, writing on the white board.

A student in the back mutters, _"Oh dear,"_ and his statement is soon followed by a chorus of moans and groans.

This is going to be a long year.

~oOo~

The period finally ends with the last bell of the day, and I smile in relief. Today wasn't completely a bust.

I gather up my belongings, reaching slightly to grab my bag from the floor. A person tugs lightly on a small strand of my hair, and I sit up, whirling around to face them. "Do you need somethi—oh," I say, when I realize it's only Luke. I clutch my bag to myself, staring at him curiously.

He grins at me, unexpectedly, and I'm taken aback. "I knew that was you, Gray-eyes," Luke says, his smile friendly.

"Uh, hi," I manage to get out, my voice quiet.

Luke glances at my bag, where my name is embroidered onto the top. "Annabeth is it? That's a pretty name. Suits you. Then again, so does Gray-eyes," he replies conversationally, his voice smooth and silky.

_How am I supposed to reply to that? _I wonder.

Thankfully, I don't. He looks at the clock for a moment, before smiling at me again. "Well, I don't mean to hold you up, I'm sure you're a busy person," he says apologetically. "Just wanted to say hi."

"It's okay."

Luke slings his backpack over a shoulder and heads out the door of the classroom. "See you later, Gray-eyes!" he calls as he walks out the door.

I stand up and exit the classroom alone.

To put it lightly, that was… weird.

* * *

**End Notes:**

Happy Fathers Day, and Happy Birthday Daddy (:

Well, here I am, with a longer chapter, in hopes to make you more happy with me… Did it work? ^_^

Anyways, I have a hugggeee favor to ask of you all! Any of you on Wattpad? Well would you mind maybe reading my story? It's at this link:

wattpad. com (/) story/6262992-crash

without the spaces and parentheses, of course (: Fan me, comment, vote, idk, I just want reader feedback!

Okay, well hopefully I'll update sooner this time. Hope you're having a good summer, northern hemisphere!

Baibai (:

_-fluffy_

**PS: **Thank you all sooo much for the reviews, you guys are the greatest! I hope I haven't lost any readers...


	5. Second Place

**Summary: **Annabeth Chase is a no one, spending her time studying, hiding from others, and burying herself deep into her past. To top it all off, this anti-social loner has the biggest crush on Percy Jackson—the most popular guy in school. Travel through the pain of high school with Annabeth as she watches her beloved one, hidden in the shadows.

**Author's Note: **Hi again! The wait wasn't dreadfully long, hmm? Anyways, shout out to **_peanut-butter-mouse_**, just because. OH BUT *HINT* THERE MAY BE SOME PERCABETH IN THIS CHAPTER. I haven't quite written it yet, but I'm in a Percabeth-writing mood, so I could squeeze something… small… in there maybe? I dunno yet :o **(don't get your hopes up :/)** Enjoy!

~oOo~

**HIDDEN IN THE SHADOWS**

Chapter Five

_Second Place_

~oOo~

"How was your day, Annabeth?" Sue questions me when I arrive home.

"It was… good." Maybe I over exaggerate a tad, but my day was considerably on the better side than not.

She's sitting on the couch in the living room, which lies to the left of the front doors. There's a laptop on her lap, a pencil tucked behind her ear, and fading frown lines between her eyebrows. "That's nice, honey," Sue says, giving me a small smile as she looks up from the screen.

"Yeah." I drop my school bag onto the ground, and sit in a single-seater couch across from her. "Are Bobby and Mathew home yet?"

Sue shakes her head no, glancing up at the clock on the wall. "No, not yet, but their bus should get home soon."

I nod in response. "I could have picked them up… it's the least I can do as a favor to the car you gave me!"

Again, she shakes her head, this time a smile on her face. "Annabeth, that was a present! I wasn't expecting a favor in return. Besides, you're a teenager, go out, have fun! I don't want you to be weighed down by transporting your brothers to and from school," she says.

_It's not like that'll ever happen, _I think somberly, not letting my emotions reflect onto my face. "Okay." I pause, unsure of what to say now to fill in the empty silence. "…Is Fr—Dad home?"

Sue looks at me knowingly, and I know she's caught my slip-up. "No, your father isn't home."

The doorbell starts to ring incessantly, signaling that my half-brothers are home. Sue gets up from the couch and opens the door to the two mischievously smiling eight year old twins. "ANNIE!" they chorus, running past Sue to hug me around my torso.

I smile down at them, as Sue playfully rolls her eyes at me, before disappearing into the kitchen. "Hey there," I grin, using my hands to ruffle their brown heads. "How was you guys first day of school?"

They look up at me with matching excited faces, their eyes wide with enthusiasm. "Miss Magby has class pets!" Bobby exclaims.

"_Two_," Matthew adds, holding up two fingers for extra emphasis. "She has _two_ bunnies!"

Bobby nods in agreement. "And they're _fluffy bunnies_!"

I laugh at their excitement. "So cute!"

"Boys? Do you want a snack?" Sue reappears from the kitchen, holding a tray of chocolate chip cookies and three glasses of milk. "Annabeth, did you want some too?"

Shaking my head, I pick up my bag from the floor, slinging it over my shoulder. "Thanks, but I'll pass," I say, seeing a chance to escape the constant grasp my brothers usually had on me. I head up the stairs and walk into my room, dropping my bag on the ground once again, and collapsing on my bed.

I lean on the side of my body, half of my face squished into my pillow, and look at the picture frame that sits beside my bedside. Me, Mom, Fredrick. Smiling, happy, carefree. I sigh, and shift so my entire face is pressed against my pillow.

_Before Sue. Before the blame. Before the guilt. Before the accident. Before Dad hated me._

We used to be such a happy family. My parents were so in love, everyone was great, life was perfect.

And then the accident happened, and it tore Fredrick to pieces. He blamed me for it, and wouldn't speak to me, communicating through notes on the refrigerator, at least until Sue came along. Six months later, she's pregnant with the twins, they're getting married, and she becomes my stepmom.

You see, I don't hate Sue. She's the closest thing to a mother figure I have, and she helps Fredrick and I get along better. She's the mother of the world's best brothers, although she will never be my own, and I love her, Fredrick loves her.

But the thing is, he—_we_—don't love her with all of our hearts. Because you never stop loving someone. Love is something that will last longer than forever, or you might have to rethink if it was truly love you were feeling.

The love I feel for my biological mother, the love Fredrick claims he felt, that's all real love.

And it's not fair to Sue that she'll always hold the second place in our hearts.

~oOo~

I don't see Percy at my lockers the next morning, but that doesn't mean Drew isn't hanging around there, on the lookout.

She leans against the locker beside his (not mine, but the other one), and chomps on a piece of gum, as she toys around on her phone. "_Ohmygod,_" she breathes as her phone pings with a new incoming text message. "_No way. NO WAY! OMG!_"

Her fingers fly across her touch screen keyboard in a flurry, and I have to keep myself from staring in wonder. _How does she move her fingers that fast?_

The phone chimes again, an immediate response from whomever she's texting.

"Unbelievable," Drew mutters under her breath. "Un-freaking-believable."

_Ding._

More murmurs from Drew.

_Ding._

"Such a show off," she mutters lightly. Although her words are bitter, her tone is in awe.

_Ding._

Suddenly, she looks up from her phone and I look away from her, peering intently into my locker. Deciding that I should head to class, I close the blue locker door and turn around.

And there stands Rachel Elizabeth Dare, with her flaming red hair, hand in hand with Percy Jackson.

* * *

**End Notes:**

Wow. I didn't think it'd turn out like this.

I tell you there might be Percabeth… and then there is all but. :3 oopsiedaisies.

Dontcha worry though! Our Annabeth won't give up on her conquest for Percy's heart (that sounds slightly sinister :/).

Anyways, the next chapter of this is written… So review for a quicker update? :3333 Okiedokie, I apologize for the short length, but I didn't know what to write, and I wanted to end it here!

PS DID YOU CATCH WHAT I DID THERE EARLIER IN THE CHAPTER? aha I'm so weird XD

Thanks (:

-fluffy

**(To all those who care about my personal life: **The guy that I like likes me... except I don't want him to like me, because I have weird reasons... so um yeah... what to do? D:**)**


	6. Glare, Dare, Fire Hair

**Summary: **Annabeth Chase is a no one, spending her time studying, hiding from others, and burying herself deep into her past. To top it all off, this anti-social loner has the biggest crush on Percy Jackson—the most popular guy in school. Travel through the pain of high school with Annabeth as she watches her beloved one, hidden in the shadows.

**Author's Note: **Hell yeah! Even shorter wait c: thank you so much for all your reviews (:

~oOo~

**HIDDEN IN THE SHADOWS**

Chapter Six

_Glare, Dare, Fire Hair_

~oOo~

As they walk down the hallway, fingers intertwined, people stop and stare, the occasional glaring or appraising Rachel. I, myself, want to glare, but I don't. _It's not like you ever had a chance._

They both look happy, and although I would normally be glad that people are happy, I can't bring myself to be pleased with this situation. As much as I try, I simply cannot.

Why?

There honestly aren't many reasons why I can't be happy for this new couple, and the only one that makes the slightest bit of sense is that I have a symptom of neurotic insecurity.

In other words, I, Annabeth Chase, am jealous.

Jealous of whom?

Rachel Elizabeth Dare.

They reach my locker—correction, Percy's locker—and come to a stop, their hands falling apart. Rachel rushes to Drew's side, her face beaming, gloriously content, while Percy walks towards me.

_ Me?_

His eyes are downcast as he walks, and I have to tell myself not to stare at the way his dark hair falls into his eyes. Percy glances up at me, his sea green orbs connecting with mine. And then he averts his gaze.

"Uh, excuse me." _What? _Percy stares at his locker, that I somehow maneuvered myself to stand in front of. _Oh._

Wordlessly, I shift out of the way, looking intently at the textbooks in my arms. Words are itching to escape my throat, _anything_, any words at all, but nothing comes out. And so I stand, silent, listening to the sounds of binders and folders banging in metal lockers, and shoes hitting the tiled ground.

Rachel prances up to Percy, finally done talking to Drew; something I have deemed as "squeal-time." Her red-as-fire hair is straightened today—most likely in her efforts to impress Percy, but also leave a statement at school—and she curls it so it rests on one shoulder. "Hi." Rachel's tone is soft, albeit eager, and she smiles at him expectantly.

He grins back at her, something glimmering in the darkness of his eyes, and he brushes a loose lock of hair from her face to behind her ear. "Hey." The one word I hear him speak to her is so quiet, but so full of emotion, and I can't stand the torture to my ears it brings.

I break away from the lockers and head to first period.

_I can't be jealous. I cannot be jealous of Rachel Dare._

_ I can't be jealous, because he was never mine to be jealous of._

~oOo~

Gym comes around, and to no one's surprise, we're walking the track again. I haven't seen either Rachel or Percy since this morning, but they're all that I've been thinking about, as much as I wish I didn't.

And, from what I see, Luke isn't too happy either.

Rather than playing soccer with his friends, he's walking the track, maybe ten feet ahead of me. His hands are in his hair, fingers pulling at his short, blonde locks in frustration, and his muscles are tense. He is obviously far from pleased with the new couple.

I doubt that Luke's a bad guy, but if he really likes Rachel, he should let her go.

_Doesn't that mean you should let Percy go? _A voice in my head counters.

_I try, believe me, I'm trying… but I simply _can't. _"It's hard letting you go."_

"What?"

I stop and look up from the ground at the intrusion of a new voice, which certainly isn't in my head. To my surprise, Luke has stopped walking, and has turned around to face me. I stare at him confusedly, wondering why he had the sudden notion to talk to me.

He walks closer to me, his light blue eyes staring into my own. "What did you just say?"

"I said something?" I reply, my eyebrows furrowing when I discover I cannot hold his intimidating gaze.

Luke nods. "You definitely said something, Gray Eyes." His tone lightens considerably once he recognizes me.

I am silent, and he shakes his head. "Something about 'it's hard letting you go?'" _…I said that out loud? _"Gray Eyes?"

"Um… Bon Jovi song?" I mutter weakly, making up an excuse.

He lets out a laugh. "Some recovery you got there, Gray Eyes," Luke teases.

_This is weird._

"Alright then, I won't push," he chuckles, starting to walk again.

_Does he expect me to walk with him?_

Luke looks over his shoulder back at where I continue to stand. "You coming?"

_Okaaay then. _I nod at him and do a small walk-jog to where he is.

He shoots me a quick smile, nudge my shoulder with his own, and motioning towards the sky. "And now the sky, it shines a different kind of blue. And the neighbor's dog don't bark like he used to."

I can't help but look at him incredulously. _What kind of crap is he spitting out?_

Luke rolls his eyes and continues talking, this time, singing.

_"Well — me, these days_

_"I just miss you — it's the nights that I go insane_

_"Unless you're coming back for me_

_"That's one thing I know that won't change_

_"It's hard, so hard — it's tearing out my heart_

_"It's hard letting you go."_

"Bon Jovi?" I ask, smiling.

He nods in agreement. "Bon Jovi."

We walk in an awkward silence around the track, neither of us talking.

_Luke's nice, _I think, smiling slightly to myself. _He's a great guy. Nice, too._

_ But what about Percy?_

_ Percy's going out with Rachel._

_ So you're just going to give up on him?_

_ I don't know._

_ And settle for Luke instead?_

_ I don't know! And I don't even like Luke like that!_

_ You could._

_ But I like—_

"Luke!"

_—Percy._

"Come play soccer, dude!" one of his friends call.

Luke looks at me, and I shrug nonchalantly. "Walking the track," —_alone_— "is what I usually do."

He nods at me. "See you, Annabeth," Luke calls before jogging over to the center of the field.

_Yeah... See you._

* * *

**End Notes:**

Hmm. I'm not exactly pleased with this chapter, but I suppose it's decent. It's ridiculously short—that's for sure :P

Kinda uneventful… except Luke called her Annabeth! OMG.

Not really :/ that's still uneventful.

Urgh.

Ideas anyone?

Oh, so I made a Tumblr for this story yesterday. Because I was bored. Really bored. Check it out?

_ hiddenintheshadowsfanfic - tumblr - com  
_

Thanks (: and I have a new oneshot out called Home…

-fluffy

_(Oh how I wish they would let me use the tab button on fanfic... it makes everything look nicer)_


	7. Smiley Faces

**Summary: **Annabeth Chase is a no one, spending her time studying, hiding from others, and burying herself deep into her past. To top it all off, this anti-social loner has the biggest crush on Percy Jackson—the most popular guy in school. Travel through the pain of high school with Annabeth as she watches her beloved one, hidden in the shadows.

**Author's Note: **Back from vacay ;]

~oOo~

**HIDDEN IN THE SHADOWS**

Chapter Seven

_Smiley Faces_

~oOo~

"So… a muffin?" Percy questions, leaning against the counter of the baking station. He holds a slip of paper in his hand with the instructions listed on it.

I nod, silently watching him. _Why didn't I tell Mr. Farzae that I wanted to switch partners? I have a 0% chance of well, getting together with Percy, now that he's dating Rachel, _I think miserably. "Um. Yeah."

He places the instructions flat on the counter, and motions for me to come read it as well. "This should be easy enough, right partner?" Percy grins at me, causing me to look down in embarrassment. _Agh! Don't you dare blush, Annabeth!_

As I continue to look at the ground, I nod again. "Could you read me the ingredients list, while I get it?" I mutter only loud enough so he can hear, and go to the cabinets and refrigerators section to gather all the materials.

"Uh, yeah, sure…"

I wait for the list of ingredients to come shooting out at me, but Percy's silent. When I turn around to look at him, he has both hands on the counter, and is staring intently at the small sheet of paper. His sea green eyes are slightly squinted and focused, and his eyebrows are furrowed as he mouths words to himself. "… Percy?"

He jerks his head up to look at me with wide eyes, and my eyes flash away from him for a second. _Can he not read? _I wonder curiously, before averting my attention back to him. "Umm… do you want me to read the list out while you get the ingredients?" I question, not wanting to call him out on it.

Percy smiles at me gratefully, and he hands me the slip of paper.

"Two eggs… flour… milk…" I begin to read as he dutifully grabs the corresponding ingredients. "Do you want to make chocolate chip muffins or blueberry?" I ask, not particularly caring which one we make.

"Blueberry!" His response is nearly immediate, and it causes me to laugh slightly. Percy looks at me sheepishly, rubbing the back of his neck. "Sorry, I just really like the color blue… we can make whatever you want, though."

I give him a small smile, blood rushing to my tan cheeks. "Blueberry it is, then," I say, and he grins in return, grabbing a small pack of blueberries from the fridge.

We finish making the muffin batter in silence, pour it into the six muffin tins, and put it into the toaster oven to bake. And as they bake, we wait in an uncomfortable silence. However, the thoughts in my head are far from quiet.

_Why am I partnered with him? I'll only end up embarrassing myself… What if I like, blurt out a question asking him how he and Rachel is? Or what if I ask why he couldn't read it? … Why _couldn't _he read it?_

"I'm kind of dyslexic." Percy's voice interrupts my thoughts. I turn to look at him, not sure if I heard him right. "I'm dyslexic... That's why I couldn't read the ingredients list for you… sorry," he admits self-consciously.

I bite my lip. "There's no need to apologize. You didn't need to tell me, either. I mean, you probably felt obligated since I kind of put you on the spot… sorry about that…" I reply apologetically.

He shakes his head emphatically. "You're the last person who should apologize," Percy responds. "It wasn't your fault, and you didn't make me feel obligated to tell you…" He looks as if he is about to say something else, but the toaster oven rings, signaling that not only the muffins, but our conversation as well, was done.

Percy takes the muffin tin out and sets it on the counter to cool. He takes the muffins out from the tin and places four of them in two separate Ziploc bags, so there are two in each. "Here." He holds out a bag to me.

"Thanks," I say as I accept it.

He puts the last two in another Ziploc bag, and hovers over it with a Sharpie Marker in hand, before deciding to give both the bag and Sharpie to me. After a moment, I realize why he's handing it to me, and I quickly take it, writing both of our names on it.

Percy stares at my writing for a moment, before taking the Sharpie and adding a smiley face to the bag, beside our names, so it now reads:

_Annabeth Chase and Percy Jackson :)_

With a goofy grin, he shows it to me, causing me to giggle slightly, and then we go to Mr. Farzae's desk to turn it in.

Mr. Farzae glances at the bag, eyeing the smiley face in surprise. He looks up at me, curious at my sudden change in mood towards my partnership, but I don't say anything. He nods in satisfaction, and then we both return to our station to clean up.

When the bell rings, I stupidly think that Percy would say bye to me, but he rushes out of the classroom, meeting Rachel out in the hallway. _Don't get your hopes up, Annabeth._

"Ms. Chase?" Mr. Farzae calls.

I turn around to face him. "Yes?"

"If I've understood correctly, your partner situation is… all good?"

_You won't get another chance, Annabeth! This is the second and last time he'll ask you this!_

But despite it all, my body doesn't listen to my mind, and I nod. "It's fine."

He smiles at me. "Okay, that's good."

"If you don't mind me asking, why do you want to make sure I'm fine with my partner? I mean, you did say earlier that we would have to be partners whether we liked it or not…" I ask hesitantly.

Mr. Farzae purses his lips and sighs. "You're a good student, Annabeth, but you're also very… lonesome. I know it's only the second day of school, but both facts have become quite apparent to me." He pauses, cautious of the words he says next. "There's also something about you that I sense… holds you back? I simply want you to be the best you can be, as cliché as it may seem. If I may say, you need a friend.

"Personally, I believe that Mr. Jackson would be a good person to develop a relationship with, whether it is solely friendly or, as I've observed, romantic."

I blush at his words. _Is my crush on Percy really that obvious?_

"Like I said, Annabeth, you're a good student, but also a good person. Don't think too lowly of yourself."

He doesn't say anymore, and so I nod and walk out.

* * *

**End Notes:**

Hello again :] Well I've had an _awesome_ summer vacation so far, but I apologize for not updating (other than the bonus chapter of YMP… who here read that ? :D)

Anyways, first official day of home ec with Percy Jackson and Annabeth Chase (:)) . _Eep, he added a smiley face—but he didn't say bye to her; noooo D: _And Mr. Farzae is pretty observant … noticing our Annabeth's crushy-crush on Mr. Jackson .

I think I'm going to start moving this story a _tad _bit faster, if that's alright with everyone . I feel like it's moving too slowly … but that's partially because I'm comparing it to YMP where they kissed in chapter seven … although that was a bit fast … eh whatever :3

Wellll, I'm writing this in the car on our way back home from Duke University and the rest of our vacation . Gunna go write something else now .

Review please ?

and omfg I got an instagram :/

Lots of smiley faces for all !

-fluffy xx


	8. Unexpected

**Summary: **Annabeth Chase is a no one, spending her time studying, hiding from others, and burying herself deep into her past. To top it all off, this anti-social loner has the biggest crush on Percy Jackson—the most popular guy in school. Travel through the pain of high school with Annabeth as she watches her beloved one, hidden in the shadows.

**Author's Note: **What, elevenish days? I think that's an improvement :D

~oOo~

**HIDDEN IN THE SHADOWS**

Chapter Eight

_Unexpected_

~oOo~

"Hey, Annie-Bananie!" a voice calls. It's the last period of the day—APUSH—and I'm sitting alone in the front of the class when I hear a variation of my name being called. When I look up, I see the smiling face of Luke.

The smile on my face (admittedly from thinking about Home Ec class) slowly turns to a frown without me meaning to. Luke thankfully doesn't take offense, and all he replies is, "No?"

"No…?" I question.

"No Annie-Bananie?" he clarifies with a goofy grin on his face.

I shake my head, my lips quirked up at the sides. "No Annie-Bananie," I confirm, my eyebrows raised.

He nods in deep thought, sliding into the seat behind me. "Okay. I liked the nickname Gray Eyes better for you anyways."

_What is this? Are we buddy-buddy now? _I think to myself in a confused daze. I can feel Luke staring at me expectantly, and so I slightly nod my head towards him. _Having half-friends is really confusing._

"Do I make you nervous?" His voice is suddenly so much closer and louder than I expected, and so I jump in my seat. When I turn to look at him, Luke's face is almost right next to mine, and I can see into the depths of his crystal blue eyes. My words catch in my throat, and I can't say anything. He holds my gaze for a minute, before leaning back into his own seat, nodding to himself. "Okay."

_Okay?_

Luckily, Rachel and Drew walk in, arms linked with each other. Even from a quick glance at Rachel's face, I can tell how much brighter she seems. It's like the Jackson Effect intensifies once you start dating him… but Rachel has been the only one so far, so you never can tell.

She flounces in, pausing momentarily in front of my desk. "Hi Luke!" Rachel chirps, to which he promptly ignores. From the way her face dims, I know she didn't say that to rub her new relationship status in. "Oh and hi, you're Annabeth, right? Your hair is like, so pretty. I wish I had it instead of this tangled mess." She smiles, twirling a curly strand of red hair around her finger.

Before I can think of saying thanks, she and Drew move past us to sit in the seat behind me and Luke, and they start chatting about some new fall collection of fashion.

Luke leans towards me to whisper: "Seems like she has enough perkiness to supply for the entire cheer team, today."

I stifle a laugh, but it comes out as an awkward giggle, and my face heats up slightly.

"It wasn't even that funny, Gray Eyes. You sure do know how to flatter a guy, though." He smiles at me warmly as I try to keep my cheeks from turning even redder, to no avail.

"I wasn't trying to flatter you!" I protest, laughing even more. "It was just you were so serious about it, but somehow joking at the same time!"

He shakes his head at me, his face contorted into some kind of teasing disbelief. "Sure, sure, Annabeth." Luke reclines in his chair, his lips pursed. "You should do that more…" he blurts abruptly.

I freeze. "What?"

Luke chuckles, a hidden nervousness disguised behind the carefree layer. "Laugh. You should laugh more… It's nice."

Why is it that I never know how to reply to this guy?

Mutely, I nod in response. "Thanks?" I don't mean for it to come out as a question, but it does anyway.

He gives me a crooked smile as a reply, not saying anymore.

~oOo~

By the time school is over, it's pouring buckets outside, and I have to rush to get to my car in the parking lot. On the way there, I get soaked in the process, and so I take an extra moment to just sit in the car and dry off.

The rain hits the car windows in loud thrashes, but it soon turns into soft pitter patters, before transforming into a torrent of large drops again. It sounds like a symphony. My eyes flutter shut, simply listening to the orchestra playing around me.

Mom always used to love going to the symphonies that would come around and perform from time to time. She'd take great pleasure in dressing us up all fancy and proper, and her, Fredrick, and I, would go and have a good time, spent together as a family.

Athena was her name.

She was brilliant and gorgeous and simply a kind soul in general.

I miss her.

When I open my eyes, the rain has died down considerably, even if only minutes had passed, and I languidly start up the engine of the car. As I begin to drive out of the parking lot, I spot a figure walking alone in the rain.

For a second, I'm about to go and drive over there to offer whoever it is a ride—even if they completely ignore me in class, no one deserves to walk home from school getting soaked to the bone by rain. But then, they turn so I can see their face, and I stop the car, not moving any closer.

Percy.

My mind immediately flies to the plastic bag containing the two muffins that I had saved for Bobby and Matthew. I bite my lip to keep from smiling at the memory, but then shake my head clear and watch Percy walk away, before looking down at my lap.

_What is wrong with you? Go offer him a ride! _

_ Yes… but…_

_ Weren't you just saying something about how no one deserves to get soaked to the bone by rain?_

_ Well, yes, I was…_

_ Then what are you doing?_

I shake my head to myself again and glance up at Percy. However, a different car has pulled up next to him—a female driver—and offers him a ride, which he apparently accepts. The girl gives him a hug across the car console, despite him being all wet, and I can feel my eyebrows furrow.

Percy isn't one to cheat… is he?

_What are you doing now? Spying on him?_

Taking a deep breath, I drive out of the parking lot and onto the road.

It isn't any of my business about what Percy chooses to do… but I can't help the sinking feeling in my stomach that worsens the more I think.

Maybe Percy isn't exactly who I thought he was.

* * *

**End Notes:**

Ahh all your reviews make my day! I wish I could reply to the anonymous reviewers though. There are some people I really would like to thank.

Anyways, let's talk about this chapter, hmm? It's two in the morning as I write this, so it probably sucked…but….

**Luke**. As much as I love Percabeth, I think I can write a pretty cutesy Lukabeth scene, huh? Luke's a good guy though. Don't go hating on my Luke! D:

**Rachel.** Seems pretty in love with Percy. She complimented and said hi to Annabeth :3

But what about **Percy**? Whose car did he get into?

Blahblahblah.

I swear I had things to say… people to mention… I forget. Crap.

OH WAIT. **_AzianDemigod16 _**is a crazy butt girl because she chose death over waking up next to Leonardo Dicaprio! (reference to movie. and I will never forgive you for saying that.) But go and spam her email inbox, okie? Okie.

And check out my new Jason/Reyna/Piperish oneshot, _Evanesce,_ please?

**review for a quicker update** **:]**

-fluffy xx

**Wrote this at like two in the morning... so if it sucked... yea.**


	9. Befriending

**Summary: **Annabeth Chase is a no one, spending her time studying, hiding from others, and burying herself deep into her past. To top it all off, this anti-social loner has the biggest crush on Percy Jackson—the most popular guy in school. Travel through the pain of high school with Annabeth as she watches her beloved one, hidden in the shadows.

**Author's Note: **Ding dingding dingding ding ding diiiinggg~ (who can guess the tune? :D)

**Dedication: ****_PurpleQueen981 _**because she is one of the sweetest people I have ever met and the reason why I update this story! This is what she wrote: "_All my life on Fanfiction I've known her as the amazing PJO/HoO writer but I started talking to her recently and I swear she's so nice and such an amazing person to talk to! We help each other with life issues and she's a lot of fun. :) We hit off immediately_." Although I can't say I've known you my entire Fanfiction career, I will say I wish I had, and that I'm extremely grateful that I met you. Love you, Miss Vivi, this is for you! Ps sorry for spamming you earlier with pictures of my beautiful (not) face XD

~oOo~

**HIDDEN IN THE SHADOWS**

Chapter Nine

_Befriending_

~oOo~

"Matthew, Bobby, don't forget to drink _all_ your milk," I tell my brothers, feigning sternness.

They both roll their eyes at me in synchronization, but comply anyways, causing a smile to appear on my face. "As you wish, your majesty," Bobby grumbles sarcastically, as Matthew grimaces after he brings the cup to his lips.

I laugh at their lack of enthusiasm. "Your majesty…" I pretend to muse. "I quite like that."

Matthew pokes Bobby's shoulder with a sour look. "Bobby! You're giving her _ideas_!" he exclaims, the word 'ideas' laced with disgust.

Bobby looks horrified with himself at what he had just done. He looks at me with a mischievous gleam in his eyes. "You never heard _anythin__g_," he tells me with a hypnotic voice, stressing the word "anything."

His twin snickers beside him, swinging his breakfast fork like a pendulum. "You are getting sleepy… you are getting sleepy…" Matthew makes his voice low and deep, sending all three of us into an array of giggles and laughter.

Sue comes out of the kitchen, two matching lunch bags in hand. "What's so funny in here?"

Immediately, I point at Matthew, who points to Bobby, who points to me, and then we all start laughing again. Sue shakes her head with a small chuckle of her own, walking over to Matthew and Bobby, placing their lunch bags in from of them, and a kiss on their cheek. She then walks over to where I am sitting, kissing me on the forehead. "You guys are so silly sometimes."

Matthew and Bobby both pretend to be outraged. "_Sometimes_?!"

"Mommy, we're _always_ hilarious!"

They both look at me expectantly, their eyes telling me to back them up.

I slide my chair away from the table and raise my hands in mock surrender. "I… am not part of this. And I'll be leaving now, so bye Bobby and Matthew, have fun at school!" I get up to take my breakfast plate to the kitchen, where I rinse it and load it into the dishwasher. When I come back out to the dining table, Fredrick comes walking down from upstairs.

"My boys," he greets them with a sincere grin. He walks over to where Sue is sitting, kissing her on the cheek, and simultaneously causing the twins' faces to contort to disgust. "My wife."

Fredrick turns to look at me, a blank expression on both of our faces. He nods slightly, acknowledging my presence, before sitting down, his back to me.

Sue glances over at me sympathetically, but I simply shake my head and enter the living room, where I grab my bag and car keys. I'm about to head off to school, when Sue comes running out of the front door towards me.

I roll the car window down as she walks over to my car. "Have a good day, sweetie," is all she says, and I nod, reaching through the window to give her a hug. After a moment, she pulls back, looking into my eyes. "Don't let your father affect you too much, okay?" Her thumbs wipe across my cheek, and that's when I realize tears have spilled over.

I nod again, murmuring a goodbye, before I pull out of the driveway and head to school.

When I am within the school building, I walk over to my locker, but stop when I see two people already there: Percy and Rachel.

Looking at Percy makes my stomach clench; not because I was nervous or embarrassed, but because of yesterday. I know he's not the guy who would normally cheat and it was probably all one huge misunderstanding, but I can't shake that feeling away.

I shake my head, take deep breaths, and then walk over to my locker, trying to avoid both of them, and be as invisible as I can. Nevertheless, I fail, and surprisingly it's Rachel who greets me first.

"Hey, Annabeth, right? Hi!" she smiles.

I look up at her with a small, shy smile, cautious to avoid looking at Percy_—if Rachel were to ask why my cheeks were suddenly inflamed…_ "Um, yeah, hi, Rachel," I say quietly in response, focusing on entering my locker combination with the dials of the lock.

"Oh, I forgot to introduce you to my boyfriend… Annabeth, this Percy… you probably know who he is already, but uh, yeah!" Rachel says awkwardly as I open my locker. "And Percy, this is Annabeth, she's in my US history class."

My gaze flickers to Percy for just a second, and he meets my eyes before we both look away. I'm about to say that we're partners for Home Ec class, but Percy is quicker to respond.

He holds out his hand (for me to shake?) and says, "Uh, hi, I'm Percy."

I stare stupidly at his hand. We already know who each other is… so why is he going through this introduction process for the second? I open my mouth again to tell Rachel that Percy's just trying to be funny, but I catch Percy looking at me pointedly.

What?

…Oh.

I clear my throat and hesitantly place my hand in his outstretched one. "Erm… Annabeth."

We shake hands for a moment, before I uncomfortably slip my hand out. He clears his throat and looks down, rubbing his hands on his shorts, and sticking them in his pockets. Were my hands sweaty or something? Subconsciously, I pull slightly on the hem of my shirt and look at Rachel anxiously.

For some reason, she looks oddly pleased. "Isn't Annabeth's hair just gorgeous?" Rachel squeals, clutching Percy's hand. "I'm so jealous of her!"

_I… she… jealous… me… what? _I guess the confusion must be obvious on my face because Rachel giggles and nods at me.

"Annabeth, you're super pretty, and you're super smart—I'd die to have your brains," she compliments, leaning against Percy, who looks somewhat awkward and out of it. He wraps his arm around her shoulders and she reaches up to hold his hand.

"But you're a brilliant artist," I reply softly, my face heating from her commendations.

She waves her hand, blowing off my words. "Have you seen the stuff on Devianart? They make my art look like a kindergarteners!"

Her comment makes me chuckle when I don't expect it, and I end up choking on the laughter rising up my throat. If I looked like a mother bird regurgitating food for her babies, neither of them comments on it. I bury my face into my locker, trying to keep my face cool and un-blushy.

I hear another pair of shoes walk up, and by the signature smell of perfume, I can tell it's Drew, and that my presence is no longer… wanted? I stuff a couple books and binders into my bag, slinging it on one shoulder, and then I walk away.

"_Rach… she's leaving_," I hear a male voice (that I identify as Percy's) say.

Footsteps clamber up next to me, and when a hand touches my shoulder, I turn around to face who I presume is Rachel. She looks slightly upset with a small pout on her face. "You weren't going to at least say goodbye to me and Percy?"

I bite my lip and look across her shoulder where I see Percy staring at us while Drew chats with him. "You seemed busy," I reply.

She nudges me lightly with a small laugh. "I'd never be too busy to not say goodbye to you. After all, we are friends, right?"

_We are? _I nod slowly. "Yeah, I guess we are." I offer a small smile her way, and she grins back at me.

"Okay then, I'll see you in APUSH?" Rachel asks, a smile still on her face.

I nod. "Of course. Bye… Rachel." With those words, I walk away to first period, my head ridiculously confused.

As I sit alone, waiting for class to begin, I can't help but ponder what had just happened.

But more importantly, when had I befriended Rachel?

* * *

**End Notes:**

Wow. Has it only been two days since I last updated? I just really wanted to get this out to you all… and I have a plethora of things to touch on in this author's note.

**ONE. **Anyone have a _Wattpad_ account, and are interested in joining a co-author contest? PM me please! We need more people!

**TWO. **I made an _Instagram_ for my fanfiction stories… much like PEM did. She's brilliant and I couldn't help it… follow me though? _fluffybunniesaresocute_ . I have so many story sneak peeks and spoilers I'm planning on putting up… there's one that's already up (:

**THREE. **I also made an ask. fm account! The link is on my profile, and you can ask me questions about anything (they can be submitted anonymously, as well, but if you have an account, then you'll get a message saying I replied!)

**FOUR. **Do you think we can reach 400 reviews with this uber quick update? I'm planning to start updating my stories on Saturdays! We'll see if this one will be updated again when the time comes (:

Okay. Now that that's over…. What's up with Percy and Rachel?

That's all for now, thank you so much!

**review :)**

-fluffy xx


	10. Awkwardness

**Summary: **Annabeth Chase is a no one, spending her time studying, hiding from others, and burying herself deep into her past. To top it all off, this anti-social loner has the biggest crush on Percy Jackson—the most popular guy in school. Travel through the pain of high school with Annabeth as she watches her beloved one, hidden in the shadows.

**Author's Note: **Saturday updates (: and if you're confused, all will be explained!

**Dedication: **(1) _**The Coolest Anon**_because you are probably one of the coolest anonymous reviewers :D A hopefully nice, big long chapter, especially for you (2) _**Pug1998 **_ because your name always pops up in my inbox one way or another and you give sweet thoughtful reviews and (3) _**IzzyPure **_because you always have outrageously long but highly entertaining reviews!

~oOo~

**HIDDEN IN THE SHADOWS**

Chapter Ten

_Awkwardness_

~oOo~

"Did I see Rachel hugging you this morning, or were my eyes just deceiving me?" Luke asks as we walk around the track. I guess after a few days I got used to walking with him, because it really doesn't bother me in the slightest anymore.

"People don't really—that doesn't usually happen, so it was probably pretty confusing not just for me, but for, um, other people as well," I say quietly, hoping he doesn't comment on my mistake. I glance over at him to see that his eyes have softened to a lighter shade of blue, and I quickly avert my eyes.

It feels like he wants to say something, but apparently decides against it. "I was just teasing you, Gray Eyes. But… did I see Jackson there with you."

My cheeks flush fifty shades of red at Percy's name. During the ten minutes I had spent in his company with both him and Rachel staring at me the entire time, I had kept my blushing down to a minimum, but now, my cheeks were a fiery red. _Gods, I really need to get more socially confident and stop acting like a stupid school girl. _

He stops walking, stopping me as well so he can put his hands on my shoulders and stare at my face. His blue eyes pierce my own confused ones intently, as if he was searching for something. "Um… Luke… what are you doing?"

"You like him, don't you?" Luke says after a moment, letting go of me and walking a few paces away. "Why does everyone like that jerk?"

I bite my lip to keep silent. Was I that obvious? Was that why Rachel was abnormally nice to me; so she could go and stab me in the back later because she had other cruel intentions dissembled? Was that why Percy didn't want to say he knew me? My eyebrows furrow, and from the events of this morning in addition to these thoughts that dangerously bombard my head, I can feel tears coming.

My body turns away from Luke so I can force myself not to let any tears come out, but he gently grabs my shoulder, turning me to him. "Annabeth… oh gods, I didn't mean to make you cry," he says, his voice guilty, and that's when the tears finally come out.

"It's not because of you," I manage to get out as I cry silently into his chest. Luke wraps his arms around me, holding me to his body, and for a moment in my life, I felt safe, protected, and cared for. "I just… realized something."

He rocks me against his chest, and places a light kiss in my hair. "You don't have to tell me."

I let tears come for an ephemeral length of time, before I gently push myself out of his arms. "I'm sorry," I say, looking anywhere but him, slightly embarrassed at my sudden break down.

Luke looks just as embarrassed as me, and he looks down at the ground, rubbing the back of his neck with one hand. "Don't be sorry. Ever." My eyebrows rise as I glance at him at the same time he looks at me, causing both our cheeks to redden. "I just have… a feeling that you feel sorry for a lot of things you shouldn't ever feel sorry for. Let someone else be sorry for once in your life."

I stare at him and he stares right back. "Okay," I finally breathe out, breaking our eye contact. I can still feel his eyes on me, and for some reason, there's a feeling in my stomach that starts growing. I can't identify what it is, but I know for sure that I don't like it.

Is it guilt? What would I be guilty for?

The coach blows his whistle, signaling everyone to head back into the locker rooms. Luke says bye to me and goes to catch up with his soccer friends.

That's when the thought finally strikes me: Why hadn't he gone and hung out with his friends, because I know they called him over.

I shake my head, entering the girl's locker room.

_Don't think too hard, Annabeth._

~oOo~

When I enter Home Ec class, I take a seat in the front, ignoring the fact that Percy is in the classroom already, looking at me expectantly. I want to sit next to him, I really do, but I don't want to seem obvious or give Rachel a reason to hate me.

Stupid things like that have crossed my mind lately. I sigh, watching Mr. Farzae write the class' assignment for the day on the whiteboard. _Rice Krispy Treats__. Ingredients: Six cups of rice cereal, one bag of marshmal—_

"Um, hi, Annabeth."

Percy?

I shake my head from the initial shock, because really, I hadn't expected him to be there. "Uh. Hi."

All his stuff is moved into the seat directly next to mine, and he's looking at me anxiously with those sea green eyes of his. Why does he have to be so good-looking? Why have I come to like him? "About this morning…" Percy says as other students begin filling in. "I uh…"

The bell rings, cutting him off, since Mr. Farzae always begins class promptly on time.

"Today we will be making Rice Krispy treats—and yes, you may make extras to take home. I only bought… twenty or so extra boxes, since they were on sale," he says, causing the class to chuckle amusedly.

I drift off after that, my mind not able to think about anything, other than what Percy was about to say to me before he was interrupted.

Finally, we're let go to go to our baking stations, and I wait for Percy to bring it up again, but he doesn't. I can't help but find myself watching him as he skillfully mixes the rice cereal into the melted marshmallow pot—if you can do that with skill, of course.

"You're really good at this," I find myself saying, not only embarrassing myself, but seemingly Percy as well.

"Yeah, I make it for my god-brother, Tyson, a lot. It's his favorite treat," he replies after a moment.

"Oh… really?" _Well duh, really, he just told you that. What's wrong with you today, Annabeth? Besides, the guy already has a girlfriend who he likes very much…_

I press the Rice Krispy treat contents into the glass casserole dish, flattening it even with the bottom of a cup measurer. We set the dish on the counter and wait for the marshmallow fluff to cool so it wouldn't be as sticky.

One of my favorite things about making Rice Krispy treats is that you can eat all the excess cereal and marshmallows from the spoon and bowl. Apparently, both Percy and I have the same idea, and so we end up reaching for the spoon at the same time.

I retract my hand back like his hand was a fire and I had just burnt my hand on it. He, on the other hand, stares at his hand in a daze, as if he thought touching my hand was the grossest thing in the world. I'm about to say sorry, when I remember what Luke had told me.

_"Don't be sorry. Ever… You feel sorry for a lot of things you shouldn't ever feel sorry for… Let someone else be sorry for once in your life."_

Percy takes the spoon and hands it to me. "You can have it," he says, a small smile playing on his lips.

I shake my head no. "You made most of it; you deserve it."

He looks at me in an exasperated, desperate way. "Annabeth. I want you to have it. _Please_."

"Okay… but um…first, do you know why Rachel suddenly started talking to me a lot? Since… you know… she's your girlfriend?" There. I said it. Good job, Annabeth.

Percy smiled at me slightly. "That's just her personality. She likes to make friends, and she's always like that. Why all of a sudden? I'm not too sure, but I think it had something to do about how she adores your hair." He pauses, thinking back for a moment. "Yesterday, she was all like, _'Oh Percy, there's this girl named Annabeth and I am just in loooove with her hair!_'" he said, mimicking her voice to the best of his ability—which wasn't much.

I bite my lip to contain my laughter, when suddenly; another question pops into my head.

"But why you didn't tell Rachel that we were partners earlier this morning?" I blurt.

Percy hesitates, glancing around at our classmates who are absorbed in creating their masterful sweets. The joking mood is suddenly gone, replaced by something else, something much more serious and intimidating. "I didn't want her to… get jealous."

"…Why would she be jealous?" I question, trying to process what he had just said.

He sits down on top of a desk with a sigh. "Again, it's just her nature. I've known her for the longest time, and she's always been so competitive. Sweet, yes, but very envious.

I look at him peculiarly. "That still doesn't explain why she'd be jealous of me if she had found out we were partners."

Percy chuckles a bit. "And I thought you were a wise girl… _Wise Girl_."

_Did he just… give me a nickname?_ "Because I am."

"Well she would be jealous because you're working with me, in class where we have to work together every day. And you're… you." He trails off awkwardly, crossing his legs one way and then uncrossing them only to cross them the other way.

I can't help but ask: "What is that supposed to mean?"

His face tints pink. "You're beautiful and smart." _Wait. What? _"What isn't there to be jealous of?

For a moment, the fleeting thought, _there's lots to not be jealous of_, passes by me, but I pay it no attention.

No no no, I'm simply focused on the fact that Percy Jackson just called me smart and beautiful.

It doesn't make any sense.

How could he… think that? My cheeks slowly begin to heat up, growing darker by the second. I don't want to talk about this anymore, I really don't, so I mutter out a, "I think the Rice Krispy's should be done."

He eagerly agrees, and the moment between us—or whatever you would call that—is lost.

And for once, I'm not disappointed. Just curious… very curious.

We turn one of the Rice Krispy Treats into Mr. Farzae in silence. There isn't a smiley face by our names today, but Percy had taken the liberty to write both our names in his slightly messy yet delicately written penmanship.

Again, like the previous day, we've finished before the others, and we're back to sitting in an awkward silence.

I wish I had never asked Percy that question. But I can't help but smile at the answer he gave me.

The bell rings, and that's when I realize; neither of us ate the excess sweets off the spoon.

**End Notes:**

**(ONE) **I am now married… To Unicorn. Bubbles. AWESOMENESS! Ahahahaha XD

**(TWO) **Major thanks to _Anna Ride_ (who needs to update her stories) because she posted this for me, since my stupid internet is stupidly off.

**(THREE) **WE DID IT! We reached four hundred! –happy dance-

**(FOUR) **Follow me on Instagram: _fluffybunniesaresocute_

**(FIVE) **What did you think of this chapter? Hmm? I'm so eager to read all your reviews; they mean so much! I personally liked this chapter a lot… Percy gave Annabeth her nickname! And Luke is so sweet I love him. And and and it's a pretty long chapter too! At least for me.

**(SIX) **Just curious, has anyone noticed how she talks so much more with Percy than Luke? :)

**(SEVEN) **PS. Yes, Percy and Rachel are actual factual dating. Sorry for any confusion …

So review and give me ideas or suggestions please (:

-fluffy xx


	11. Ice Cream Rendezvous

**Summary: **Annabeth Chase is a no one, spending her time studying, hiding from others, and burying herself deep into her past. To top it all off, this anti-social loner has the biggest crush on Percy Jackson—the most popular guy in school. Travel through the pain of high school with Annabeth as she watches her beloved one, hidden in the shadows.

**Author's Note: **Umm… yeah :3

**Dedication: ****_raisa864_**, an amazing chick (: and I mean it. Very very very amazing.

~oOo~

**HIDDEN IN THE SHADOWS**

Chapter Eleven

_Ice Cream Rendezvous_

~oOo~

I am sitting with Luke in US History, when Rachel walks in, flanked by Drew. She immediately smiles at me when she sees me, and I can feel Luke's curious gaze on us.

"I told you I'd see you again here, didn't I?" she says cheerfully, and I give a weak smile in response.

"I guess you did, didn't you?" From behind Rachel, I can see Drew roll her eyes as she examines her nails thoroughly.

Rachel nods, taking the seat behind me. "Why don't you come sit next to me today, so you don't have to keep turning around when I want to talk to you," she offers. My gaze immediately flickers to Luke, whose eyebrows are furrowed, although he gives me a slight nod.

I gather my belongings and move to sit next to Rachel, slightly awkward from her new demeanor towards me. _Percy said it's just her personality…_ Oh god. How could I forget? I'm crushing terribly on her boyfriend. _I can't act like I don't like Percy!_

"So, Annabeth?" Rachel questions, turning to me. "What are you doing this afternoon?" she asks after the teacher assigns us to read a certain section of the textbook. Drew lets out a snort that's unlike her.

Flipping open to the page assigned, I bite my lip, unable to stop my eyebrows from rising. "Um…" I had never hung out with another friend, even if Sue had given me that car to do so.

"Do you maybe want to go get some ice cream? Just you and me. I would normally invite Drew, but she's ditching me to get a mani-pedi done at the nail salon." My face falls, hopefully unnoticed to the observing eye; I had been her second choice.

I don't know how to reply. "Uh. I don't know…"

Rachel pouts. "But who am I supposed to get ice cream with?" _Percy maybe? _"Percy's got football practice today, so he won't be here either."

"I-I-I… don't know, Rachel. I mean." I don't even know why I'm saying no in the first place! This is a chance to go out, meet new people, try new things. "_People like you don't deserve to have friends." _I fall silent, not even attempting to answer her anymore.

She turns towards me, so she fully faces my direction. "Please? If you're not doing anything… _please_?"

"Homework?" I mutter weakly, and her face brightens at my answer.

"So you can make it?" Rachel questions eagerly. I wearily nod in agreement after a moment. But her reaction doesn't disappoint, and she begins rambling on about how thankful she is I'm going and what kind of ice cream is best and she agrees to meet up at the ice cream parlor separately.

After the period is over, I am heading towards my locker when I am stopped by Luke.

"Annabeth." His voice stops me in my tracks, and I turn around to face him expectantly. All of a sudden he looks sheepish, stopping and rubbing the back of his neck.

"Um…yes?" Is he going to tell me not to go with Rachel today?

"Ah… you are going with Rachel for ice cream, right?"

I nod hesitantly. "Yes…"

His cheeks flush red. "Do you think you could maybe… put in a good word about me to her?"

I can't stop the smile that breaks out on my face, causing his cheeks to redden even more. "You still like her?"

"… W-what do you mean, Annabeth?" Luke stutters, running his fingers through his blond hair.

Laughing slightly, I nudge him gently with my shoulder. "C'mon, open up. I know you do."

He shrugs, trying to act nonchalant. "A little."

I know he won't say anymore and so I simply nod. "Okay."

"Okay?"

"I'll do it."

Luke looks at me incredulously. "Really? You're being serious?"

I nod, confused. "Why would I lie about that?"

Abruptly, I am pulled into his arms for the second time today, his embrace warm and comforting. He jerks back, flustered again. "I don't know… I just… you're the best, Annabeth," Luke says sincerely.

My face brightens at his words. "Well I should be going now…"

He agrees, waving to me. "Have fun, Annabeth… and, uh, be subtle about it?" he asks nervously.

I smile to myself at his shyness; despite Percy going out with Rachel, he must really like her. "I will. Bye, Luke…"

"Thanks, Annabeth."

"You're welcome, Luke."

I walk away without another word, but only one thought running through my mind: what happened to Gray Eyes?

~oOo~

"So glad you made it," Rachel grins at me, settling down in a booth at the ice cream parlor. We both have bowls of ice cream, her flavor, pecan with praline, mine, vanilla.

I nod softly. "Um. Thanks for inviting me."

She scoops a mouthful of ice cream into her mouth. "Oh, any time." After swallowing the ice cream down her throat, Rachel adds: "You must think I'm a freak, huh?"

_What? _I shake my head fervidly.' "Of course not."

Rachel laughs brightly. "Well, to state it all bluntly, I never talked to you… ever. And now I'm suddenly hugging you, talking to you, and inviting you to get ice cream with me. If I was you, I'd be suspicious of me."

Well she has it all about right. "Should I be?" I blurt out, immediately shoving a spoonful of ice cream in my mouth.

She laughs again. "That's what I like about you; you're different from all those other girls… But no, I don't think you need to be… hopefully," Rachel teases, getting a small laugh out of me.

"So um, why?" I question. Thankfully, I don't need to elaborate anymore since she gets the gist of what I'm trying to ask.

Rachel shrugs. "Truthfully, I don't know. You looked like you needed someone to talk to, but you also seemed like rather than taking initiative, you'd rather not get noticed. I thought that if you didn't want to approach anyone, someone would have to come up to you… if that makes sense."

_I don't seem… approachable?_

Clearing my throat to end the rather awkward subject, a random topic falls out of my lips. "Luke's a nice guy." _Oh god… I don't think that was the right timing… or subtle. _

She bursts out laughing across from me, the area around her eyes wrinkling with amusement. "Did he put you up to this?" Rachel questions, observing my reddened cheeks.

Quickly—unfortunately _too_ quickly—I shake my head. "No!"

Rachel laughs again with a kind smile. "It's okay, I won't tell him. But I just wish he could get it in his head that I like Percy… he's a good guy, he could easily like and be liked by someone else." She bites her lip, looking off into the distance.

"But enough about me; you have to have a crush on someone at Goode!" Rachel exclaims, leaning in for "girl talk." My cheeks flare as I shake my head no. She leans her head on her hand, staring at me curiously. "Is it Luke?"

I can feel all my blood rush to my cheeks, even though I'm relieved she didn't ask if it was Percy. "Uh-uh. Nope."

She grins mischievously. "Oh, don't be silly. You're practically on fire because your cheeks are so red!" Rachel teases in a friendly manner.

I want to tell her that just because my cheeks are fiery, it doesn't mean I like Luke, but I don't. It's better that she suspects I like him than if she knew I liked her boyfriend… right? My mouth opens to retort something instead, but a new voice jokingly interrupts.

"So this is why you ditched watching my practice?"

Both of our heads turn towards the owner of the voice, and I blush even more, if it's possible.

"Percy!" Rachel cries happily, scooting over in the booth so he could sit next to her, which he does. "I thought you weren't going to be able to make it," she says.

He nudges her playfully. "Would you rather I wasn't here?" Rachel avidly shakes her head. "Coach had an emergency he had to take care of immediately, so he cancelled it. Oh, and hi, Annabeth."

I give him a small, cautious smile in response.

Running his fingers through his hair, Percy clears his throat. "So what were you two laughing about before I cut in?"

_Please don't say anything, _I beg, looking at Rachel, but she doesn't catch my gaze.

"Oh nothing really, just crush talk and stuff," she replies casually.

"Crush talk?" he repeats inquisitively, staring at me with his eyebrows raised.

"Uhhuh. Annabeth here has a crush on Luke… isn't that just the cutest thing? They're so adorable together!" Rachel says joyfully, smiling at me.

Percy's gaze flickers from me, to Rachel, and back to me.

I didn't think my day could get any more confusing, but the Heavens just _love_ proving me wrong.

"Is that so?"

* * *

**End Notes:**

I am supposed to update tomorrow, but today is a very special day for a very special person… Happy Birthday Vivi!

Sadly, there isn't really any Percabeth in this chapter (or the next, as a matter of fact), but Annabeth will (hopefully?) be developing herself more. This wasn't the best chapter anyway :P

I've been curious about something lately: Whenever I read a fanfic or something, I'm always wondering what kind of person the author is, or what their name is, or what they look like… do you? So what I'm curious about, is what do you guys think of me? Am I nice, mean, White, Asian, athletic, quiet, artistic, loud, athletic etc? I'd love to hear what you guys think about how I come across as… even if some are completely and utterly off!

Anyways, all for now (:

**Oh and check out my new story called ****Us****! #badboyPercy ;)**

-fluffy xx

**Ps: didn't read through the chapter before I updated, terrible, I know, so if there are any mistakes, please kindly point them out so I can fix it (: thanks**


	12. Petty People

**Summary: **Annabeth Chase is a no one, spending her time studying, hiding from others, and burying herself deep into her past. To top it all off, this anti-social loner has the biggest crush on Percy Jackson—the most popular guy in school. Travel through the pain of high school with Annabeth as she watches her beloved one, hidden in the shadows.

**Author's Note: **500+ reviews! Soda happy; thank you all my beautiful, wonderful reviewers (:

**Dedication: ****_Annabeth Brady_**, whose birthday was on the fourth! :) And **_Jacksonluver101 _**who is a cool kid :D And **_LongLiveLaughter _**who seems to be really sweet… and whose birthday is today! And **_pjoperson _**who was the closest to guessing what I am… a Martian

~oOo~

**HIDDEN IN THE SHADOWS**

Chapter Twelve

_Petty People_

~oOo~

_Two weeks later…_

As much as I love English class, it's kind of a drab to start out with it every single day of the school year. Learning about grammar and interpreting literature, first thing in the morning? It's not the most fun.

I stare into space as the teacher shuffles papers around on her desk, both of us waiting for class to begin. The bell rings, and as Ms. Kimble clears her throat to officially start first period English, the door opens, a girl walking in. This causes Ms. Kimble to become frustrated, although the girl doesn't seem to care.

Her electric blue eyes scan across the room, and she makes eye contact with every single one of them, intimidating most. She turns back to the teacher, pulling her hair out of the ponytail it was in, so it falls to her shoulders in black layers.

Ms. Kimble fumbles under the new girl's gaze, but she maintains a somewhat decent composure. "May I help you?"

The girl holds a slip of paper out to the teacher, saying: "Thalia Grace. I'm new here."

Murmurs erupt from around the class.

_"Is that Jason's sister?"_

_ "_The_ Jason Grace?"_

_ "They look nothing alike!"_

_ "Except for their eyes, though."_

Ms. Kimble clears her throat, and her face looks like it's gone long sour. "Ah, yes. Have a seat," she says, peering intensely at the slip in her hand. Thalia looks around the classroom for the second time, before walking down the front row and slipping into the seat beside me.

_There are a lot of other seats here… and it's not like she's not pretty… _I think to myself, surprised, but somewhat grateful that she's sitting next to me.

"What's your name?" Thalia asks at me, her voice softer and less demanding than when she had previously introduced herself to the class.

My eyes flicker up to her face, meeting her eyes for a second, before they fall back to the desk again. "Annabeth."

Thalia offers me a grin and a hand, which I tentatively shake. She's about to say something, when Ms. Kimble cuts her off with an irritated cough.

"Now then, I'm going to call roll," she announces, and Thalia turns her body so she's facing the front once more. As she starts to drone off names, I doze off, not even realizing my name being called.

"Annabeth Chase is here," Thalia says, knocking me out of my reverie. I look up at Ms. Kimble, who continues to call off names, rather than marking me off as absent. She gives me a sideways look, and I try to express my gratitude through my eyes.

Ms. Kimble assigns us a task to do, and I turn to Thalia. "Um… thanks about earlier."

She shrugs nonchalantly. "It was nothing… really. It really was nothing."

I smile at her. "So uh, are you related to Jason Grace?"

Thalia turns around to glare at the person behind her, who seems to be eavesdropping in on the conversation. After an intense look, they turn away, blushing, and she faces me again. "Yeah, that nimrod's actually my brother."

"Oh… okay."

She nods, changing the subject. "What's your schedule?"

I pull out my schedule that I had kept in a folder since the first day of school, and hand it to her. Thalia gazes at it, her blue eyes flickering back and forth between the two papers in her hand. After a moment, she hands it back and grins at me.

I look at her expectantly, curious about the reasoning of her grin. "So?"

"So it seems that we have all our classes together, Chase."

~oOo~

When lunch comes around, Thalia follows me to the lunch line, without even a glance at all the other people in the cafeteria.

_Why doesn't she try and make friends with the others? Does she feel like I'm suffocating her too much, where if she tried, my feelings would get hurt? _I shake my head to myself. No, that's not it… Thalia doesn't seem to be too soft of a person.

"What'chu thinking about?" Thalia questions as we search for a table to eat lunch at, and sit down. Confused, I stare at her, wondering why she suddenly would want to know what's in my head. She shrugs. "You were shaking your head to yourself."

Self-consciously, I look at the ground. "You can go socialize if you want," I say, not sure if that's the right way to let out what I was thinking.

Thalia's eyes train on me with an intense gaze. She takes my shoulders, spinning me around in the seat to face the rest of the cafeteria. "The people here are too materialistic," she states firmly.

My mouth opens, but she cuts me off and points at a group of people. "Look. Over there, the cheerleaders. They obsess over their looks, popularity, flexibility, and boyfriends."

I have to bite back a reply, even if her observation is mostly true. Thalia points in a different direction. "The classic nerds: Grades, college, parents, latest version of Minecraft." That gets a small laugh out of me, and my tense shoulders begin to relax as Thalia lists out the obsessions of a bunch of different cliques.

She points to the jock table, and when I look, I see Percy sitting there. My cheeks flush as she analyzes them. "Jocks. Sports, "coolness", popularity, girls... Most of them probably switch girlfriends weekly, if not more."

"Not all of them," I blurt out, before bowing my head in embarrassment. I look back up towards the jock table Thalia had previously mention, and see Percy looking in our direction; probably wondering who the new girl is. He catches my eye, and sends a quick smile, before he is engaged into a conversation.

Thalia follows my line of sight, her eyes landing on Percy. "He must be the exception?" she asks slyly, with a teasing voice.

My face becomes flustered and I shake my head. "No no no, I was talking about um. Jason, your brother!"

She rolls her eyes playfully. "Sure." Her tone turns into a much more serious one as she says, "But that's why I'd prefer to sit with you, than anyone else here."

"I'm not popular, though." The words fall out of my mouth, and I stare at my food in discomfiture.

Thalia waves off my comment. "Popularity isn't everything in life… you just get trained to think that from being around so many people who earnestly believe that. Those who only care about petty things like that are petty people themselves. You, Annabeth Chase, are not one of them."

I nod mutely, taking a bite of my sandwich.

"However," Thalia adds, "you do need to work on your confidence, considerably. You can't just let people control you all the time, or bypass you without even noticing you were there."

She motions for me to copy her. "Like now, for instance. C'mon, back straight, shoulders back. Look confident in yourself! Let the world know that you are here to stay; that you're Annabeth Chase."

I do as she says, probably growing a couple inches, just from sitting up straight. A smile breaks out on my face, and for some reason, I already feel much better.

Thalia glances at me for a second, before giving me a soft smile. "Be confident in yourself, Annie, like you are truly existent in this world. Only then will others begin to believe it too."

* * *

**End Notes:**

I saw The Sea of Monsters…

Don't worry, I won't spoil anything, but be warned: It is a good movie in movie terms, but in relation to the book, you'll be disappointed.

So, I was at my friend's house for almost two days, and now I have a bunch of stuff to do. And I got my schedule for school, and it's so disappointing because out of all the friends I actually wanted classes with, I have absolutely none with them.

Anyways, the question thing was fun last time :] Some of you were way off, but some were relatively close. It was fun though… the question thing XD

Another question? **What do you think happened after the ice cream parlor scene last chapter? **I left y'all hanging there :3 But it'll come back in another time, later though.

**R&R**

-fluffy xx

**PS- **Might not update next week… cousins will be over, I'll be out of town, and school starts after next weekend ): I'll see if I can find time


	13. Like?

**Summary: **Annabeth Chase is a no one, spending her time studying, hiding from others, and burying herself deep into her past. To top it all off, this anti-social loner has the biggest crush on Percy Jackson—the most popular guy in school. Travel through the pain of high school with Annabeth as she watches her beloved one, hidden in the shadows.

**Author's Note: **Sooo I have the next chapter for this planned, as well as for Us :]

**Dedication: ****_gigglesandbooks _**who I have started to snapchat wayyy too much but she is awesome and I love her and she has one sexy towel head XD

~oOo~

**HIDDEN IN THE SHADOWS**

Chapter Thirteen

_Like?_

~oOo~

"Um, Thalia, this is Luke, and Luke, this is Thalia," I say quietly, muttering introductions as we walk around the track.

Thalia rolls her electric blue eyes and glares at Luke. "We've met." They share a not so pleasant look, before turning to me. My head turns to my left and right, looking between them, but both Thalia and Luke refuse to acknowledge the other.

"Hey, _Annie_, mind telling your friend over there to stop pushing me into the grass?" Thalia scowls as she walks along the inner part of the track.

Luke scowls in her direction. "Well, _Gray Eyes_, maybe your friend should just move out of the way, rather than insisting to stay next to you." I stare at him in shock… he hasn't called me Gray Eyes since… well, two weeks ago?

"Gray Eyes? Since when was Annabeth's name _Gray Eyes_?" Thalia asks incredulously. It's almost like they're having a showdown or something, by the way they glare intensely at each other, and practically spit their words out in disgust.

Ignoring her, Luke turns to me. "Hey, Annabeth, did you get a haircut?"

We're back to Annabeth now, but I can't help but smile up at Luke. "Yeah, uh, actually I did," I say, subconsciously fingering my newly trimmed, blond locks.

He grins at me, nudging me with his elbow. "I knew it! You look nice," Luke compliments, causing Thalia to snort. "Are you saying she doesn't look nice?" he challenges, finally speaking directly at Thalia.

Her blue eyes flare and a smirk settles on her face. "You're kidding right? Annabeth, you look really pretty—and I bet you did even _before_ your new haircut. Don't get insulted just because dumbass over here can only come up with 'nice' in his rather small book of vocabulary."

"No, I wasn't insulted," I blurt out, defending Luke. All he was doing was being nice… "But, um, thanks, Thalia."

Luke grumbles, rolling his eyes. As we dwell in Thalia's smug silence, he looks like he wants to say something, but ends up deciding against it. He glances over at the center of the football field and clears his throat. "Hey, Annabeth, I think I'll go play some soccer with my other friends over here."

"Oh… okay."

He shakes his head. "It's not because I don't want to be here… just that _someone_ in particular doesn't like my presence," Luke says, emphasizing "someone," as in Thalia.

I nod, and he waves a goodbye before jogging off to the football field. When he's officially gone, Thalia lets out a huge sigh of relief, as if the entire time he was here she had been holding her breath.

"You know he likes you, right?" Thalia states flatly. I open my mouth to protest, but she shakes her head and cuts me off. "That good for nothing bastard doesn't deserve someone like you."

I stare at her disbelievingly. "Look, Thalia. One, he doesn't like me,"—_he likes Rachel_—"Two, he has _always_ been nice to me, and three, you barely even know him! Who gives you the right to call him a… a _bastard_ or be so rude to him?"

Thalia doesn't say anything, instead, giving me a long look. She shakes her head again, muttering an "Okay, fine," as a reply.

My breathing is shallow from my sudden outburst. I want to be angry at Thalia, but for some reason, I can't bring myself to do so. It seems like she has a reason to act that way towards Luke, although I can't figure out what exactly this reason is.

I look at Luke, who dribbles a ball on the field and then to Thalia, who walks silently beside me, and let out a deep breath.

_It's not your business, Annabeth. You can't prod into other people's lives, unwanted._

~oOo~

As we enter Home Ec class, Percy is already in there, sitting in the seat next to where I usually sit. He smiles at the both of us as Thalia and I walk in, and out of habit, I smile back.

"Wow, you are really pretty, Annabeth," he says with a teasing grin. "Is that a new haircut?"

I blush softly and nod my head. _People actually noticed? _"Thanks…"

Percy gets up out of his seat and turns to Thalia, giving her a huge hug, to my surprise. "Long time no see, cousin! I missed you during lunch," he laughs, punching her shoulder lightly. My eyes widen. _Cousin?!_

She grins at him, ruffling his hair with a hand, causing him to mock scowl. "Oh go bug someone else," Thalia says.

"But why would I do that when my darling cousin is right here?" he shoots back, pulling on a strand of her black hair.

"Oi, Jason!" Thalia calls. "Come entertain your cousin," she commands, pushing Percy towards Jason's direction. _How didn't I make that connection? Percy and Jason are cousins, meaning Thalia is too!_

Thalia turns back to me, a grin still on her face. "There's nothing better than messing with your cousins," she says, laughing slightly.

I shake my head. "Cousin? Why didn't you tell me earlier?"

She shrugs, fiddling with a pencil she pulled out of her bag. "I didn't find it important…besides, I thought you already knew, what with Jason being related to him."

I sigh, internally scolding myself over that again. "But when you asked me if I liked him during lunch!"

A small smirk forms on her face. "So you _do_ like him!" she exclaims, causing me to blush.

"I—"

"Who likes who?" a low voice rumbles inquiringly.

I grow a deeper shade of red when I connect the voice to a face.

_ Percy._

* * *

**End Notes:**

Oh geez. It's such a short chapter… BUT. I WILL MAKE IT UP TO YOU IN THE NEXT CHAPTER. It's not written out yet, so I don't know how long it is, but it's all planned out and I think—hope—you all will really really like it!

Okay okay, well now I have a super duper important note:

**Anna Ride and I are hosting a writing contest on fanfiction! For any of you aspiring authors out there, please consider this! It's a PJO based contest, where you submit a romance-centric oneshot, and other readers will vote on which oneshot was the best. The prizes include shoutouts and reviews for every single chapter of stories :] **

Please check out the account: **Dafuq Do We Call This Contest** for more details! (It's on my profile page) Please please please join :3

Anyways, thank you all so so much for the reviews! Love you guys xx

-fluffy.


	14. Different

**Summary: **Annabeth Chase is a no one, spending her time studying, hiding from others, and burying herself deep into her past. To top it all off, this anti-social loner has the biggest crush on Percy Jackson—the most popular guy in school. Travel through the pain of high school with Annabeth as she watches her beloved one, hidden in the shadows.

**Author's Note: **This chapter. Kinda. ;3

**Dedication: ****_resusin _**because she totally saved my ass when my chapter of Us got deleted. Love you (:

~oOo~

**HIDDEN IN THE SHADOWS**

Chapter Fourteen

_Different_

~oOo~

_Oh no. This can't be happening… _I blush a crazy color of red as Thalia smirks at me and Percy looks at me expectantly. _How am I supposed to answer?_

"Luke!" I blurt out after a split second decision. My eyes dance around everywhere but Percy and they land on Thalia's face. She has an interesting look on her face; a mixture of amusement and disgust.

Percy lets out a small cough, and my eyes flicker to him, immediately regretting it when they do. He looks confused and oddly… put out? Knowing there was some kind of feud between the two guys, I wave the reasoning off as that.

He looks like he wants to say something more, but Mr. Farzae clears his throat, and class begins.

I can't believe I said Luke. If I had only waited a minute more before replying, I could have successfully avoided having to say anything! My eyebrows furrow at my stupidity, and the feeling of dread takes over me as I realize I have to work with him for the remainder of the period.

When Mr. Farzae dismisses us—Thalia being put into the group with her brother—I'm left alone with Percy. To clarify even further: a socially awkward and silent me, and a scowling Percy.

Our task, brownies, is made in silence, both of us skirting around the other as we nimbly work to create an end product. A couple times I find myself staring at him, averting my gaze when he looks my way. Sometimes he catches me looking, and I blush, not knowing what to do.

It's only when he takes the brownies out of the toaster oven that he decides to talk. "You know, you're the only one I've told about my dyslexia, other than family and teachers."

The crease between my eyebrows deepens. "Not even Rachel?" I ask curiously, unable to keep my question back.

He cuts the brownies into slices and gives me a long sideways look from over his shoulder. His black hair falls into his eyes, casting dark shadows on his face as he stares. "I didn't think she'd understand."

My next question slips out of my lips before I realize it. "But you assumed I would?"

Percy turns back to the brownies, not looking at me anymore. "I knew you would," he replies simply, wrapping a couple of the brownies in saran wrap and writing both of our names on it.

I sit up on the counter, dangling my legs off the edge. They swing back and forth, my heels lightly hitting the cabinets below. "And how is that?" I don't know where all this courage is coming from, but I'm determined to get to the bottom of this. He can't just say something like that, and not explain himself.

He splits the rest of the brownies equally, packing a set up for me and then himself. "You're a Wise Girl, why don't you figure it out?"

There it is: Wise Girl. That's the second time he's called me that… but why?

Percy lets out a sigh and glances towards me, before looking up at the clock hanging on the wall. He hands me my brownies, which I set in my lap, and leans against the counter. "Do you really want to know?"

I nod, wondering if he'd actually tell me. He moves to pack up his things and turn in the brownies to Mr. Farzae. When he comes back, his backpack is slung across one shoulder, and his hair is ruffled from running a hand through it.

"It's because you're different." As the last word leaves his lips, the bell rings, and with one final look, he walks out of the classroom.

Thalia comes up to me, ready to go to our next class, but I stay frozen for a minute more, analyzing what he had just said. _"It's because you're different."_

What in the world is that supposed to mean?

~oOo~

When Thalia and I walk into AP U.S. History, I immediately see Luke, who smiles at me and scowls at Thalia. My face flushes as I remember that I had told Percy that I liked Luke, and I smile to myself as I remember what happened _after_ that.

The words _"It's because you're different" _continue to ring in my ears, even periods after he had first said them.

I settle into my seat and pull out my textbook. Luke is to my right, Thalia to my left, and I am in the middle, acting as some kind of barricade between the two. Thalia leans towards me to whisper in my ear. "Are you okay?"

"Huh?" I ask, twirling a pencil around in my fingers. "What do you mean?"

Thalia raises her eyebrows, a smug smirk on her face. "You look all… dreamy like."

My eyes widen. _I looked… dreamy like? _"What? Seriously?"

She chuckles, shaking her head. "Nah, but don't deny you don't _feel _like you're on cloud nine or something." Thalia leans back in her seat, her hands entwined behind her head, as she laughs at me silently.

I stick my tongue out at her, embarrassed. "I don't like you."

There's a twinkle in her electric blue eyes as she laughs more, and I know she has a comeback. "Well you don't have to like me if you like—"

"Thalia!" I hiss in mortification, looking around to make sure Rachel wasn't here yet. What if I had lost her as a friend, just because of that? Thankfully, neither she— nor Drew—have arrived to class yet, and so I relax in my seat, glaring at the mischievous Thalia.

"Sorry," she apologizes, albeit insincerely. She looks like she's about to burst out into a fit of giggles, and the spark in her eye is still there. "But tell me, Annabeth, is it my cousin that puts you in such a daze?" she questions innocently.

I'm about to answer when Rachel and Drew walk in, Rachel smiling broadly, Drew with a sharp frown on her face.

"Hi Annabeth!" Rachel chirps brightly, before turning to Thalia. "And you're, Thalia, right?"

Thalia nods her head slowly, confirming that she is, indeed, Thalia Grace.

"I'm Rachel," she introduces. "Um… Percy's girlfriend. And that's Drew." Drew's eyes flicker up from her cell phone in her hands, only to blink nonchalantly at Thalia, and… sneer? at me.

Thalia looks between me and Rachel, her eyes questioning. I let out a small sigh and shake my head slightly, pleading with her to not bring it up right now. After a moment, she nods with a sense of finality and looks back to Rachel. "Cool."

Rachel looks a little startled at her indifference, but it doesn't faze her as she gives a quick hi to Luke, and sits in her seat behind me. Drew takes her place beside Rachel, and I can feel her heavy eyes glowering at me for an unknown reason.

Class soon begins, but I can't seem to pay attention to whatever Ms. Looper is lecturing about, for my mind keeps wandering back to Percy, and the rest of my attention is focused solely on my surroundings.

_"It's because you're different."_

Thalia glares at Luke, her eyes sending daggers through me, reaching an oblivious Luke on the other side. _I wonder what's up between them. _Luke keeps glancing back at Rachel and towards me, most likely looking at Thalia. Rachel, on the other hand, continues to doodle ignorantly, unaware to the triangle of looks forming around me.

_"It's because you're different," _pops into my head again, causing me to smile at myself.

A note pops up on the upper left-hand corner of my desk, and discreetly, I look at it.

_Thinking about my kelphead of a cousin again?_

My eyebrows furrow at the note from Thalia.

_Kelphead?_I scribble, passing it back to her.

I can almost sense her eye-roll as she sends the note my way again. _He loves the beach and he's a bumbling idiot. So yes, Kelphead._

I'm about to reply when a note appears on the right side of my desk. Placing the one from Thalia in my lap, I quickly scan over the other one who I've determined is from Luke. _Hi :D_

My eyebrows raise in amusement as I glance at Luke, who feigns paying attention to the teacher. _Hi._

There's an impatient tap from my left side, and I turn to see Thalia glowering at Luke, who pretends to jot down notes in his notebook, when he's actually replying to the note from me. I smile; who knew passing notes could be this entertaining?

Thalia passes me another note: _So… Rachel's dating Percy?_

I let out a small sigh. _Yes…_

_And you're friends with her?_ Thalia's reply is immediate.

_Yes?_

From Luke, there's another note with a crude drawing of Ms. Looper rambling off about nonsense, accompanied by: _I'm bored._

There's so many notes passing back and forth from Thalia and Luke, that I don't even realize that I'm not replying to them discreetly enough. Ms. Looper coughs pointedly, her gaze narrowed at the three of us, and I flush, quickly crumbling the wad of notes into my pocket.

When she turns back around to face the whiteboard, there's another tap from behind me, signaling another note. This time, however, it's from Rachel.

_Do you want to come to the party I'm hosting tomorrow night? ~Rachel_

* * *

**End Notes:**

Day late update, but I was incapable of doing so yesterday.

I've got a crapload of homework now that school has started again, so I don't know if I can handle updating every weekend on top of it ):

But thank you all so much for your reviews and I hope you enjoyed the chapter :]

xx

-fluffy.


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